Set a Date

Setting an achievement date for reaching your goals is important. This allows you to map out a series of short-term goals (and dates) that serve as milestones on your journey toward achieving the larger long-term goals. Let’s look closer at the example of losing 30 pounds by the end of May. We could break this down into an initial short-term goal of losing six pounds by the end of January.

At that time you can reassess how realistic it will be for you to attain your 30-pound weight-loss goal by the end of May. At this point you may want to adjust your deadline depending upon how you did the first month. For instance, suppose your weight loss during January was only two pounds.

How realistic is it that you can lose seven pounds in each of the next four months? If your weight loss at the end of January is eight pounds, how realistic is it that you can lose five and one-half pounds in each of the next four months?

Once short-term goals have been set, realizing that you will need to devote time each week (and each day) toward achieving your goals is crucial. With today’s hectic lifestyles, finding extra time to plan healthy meals and be more physically active is often difficult.

Make things like regular exercise and healthy eating a priority by scheduling them directly in your weekly planner. It is important to make your goals a priority and block off time as you would any important appointment. Remember, the appointment is with the most important person in your life—yourself!