We are creatures of habit.  Changes often come with pulling and pinching and feeling a bit uncomfortable.  April is a great time to reevaluate those resolutions from January.  Did you resolve to work out more?  How successful have you been in reaching that goal?  Those who achieve their goals (and maintain them) have a few things in common.

They start slow, but they get started. (Even in April.) Instead of expecting themselves to be able to complete an entire workout on their first time at the gym, they pace themselves.  It may mean only a few repetitions at the beginning.

Set small, achievable goals – think realistically.  If someone is training for a marathon, they start with the goal of running one mile (or 100 yards).  If the goal is losing 20 lbs, start with a goal of 5 lbs. Applying for graduate school? Study for the GRE. Thinking small first steps helps to reach bigger goals.

Celebrate the milestones – the small steps on the journey are important to reaching the long term goals, but if you only focus on the one big goal, it is easy to become discouraged. Paying attention to successes in the beginning of goal setting helps to know the bigger goal is attainable too.

Be gentle with yourself – this would seem self-explanatory, but often we are our own worst enemy because we are so hard on ourselves.  Remind yourself that you are doing the best you can and sometimes that means setbacks.  How you think about yourself when you miss a day at the gym or eat that candy bar can impact what you do to reach a goal the next day.  Be kind and do not demand perfection.

Marlayne Whitlock, LAPC
mwhitlock@ GROWcounseling.com