Accomplishing a goal can feel good and after accomplishing a goal we should set another goal and never stop making goals to reach.
Sometimes though our goals can seem too big, impossible to ever reach, unrealistic. Don't be afraid to have big goals and dreams. But setting smaller goals on your way to those bigger goals can be just as rewarding and maybe even help you see that those bigger goals aren't as impossible as you once thought.
Set a goal each day and accomplish it that same day. Your goal could be anything (hopefully a positive and productive goal).
For example it could be that you want to read at least 10 pages or more of a book that day, do 20 or more of push-ups or sit-ups/crunches, or run or walk so many miles, exercises for a certain amount of time that day, complete certain assignments, talk to a friend or family you hadn't for a while, do something nice for someone else, eliminate something negative from your day, etc. You will feel really good telling yourself, I am going to do this today, and then actually do it.
If you want to eat healthier start out by replacing one bad food/meal you eat with something more healthier and keep gradually doing this and you will be eating more healthier.
If your goal is to drop a bad habit like quitting smoking or drinking or just cutting back on these things might take more than a day or week or month to accomplish them.
You can take steps each day to help you achieve that goal. Try going a certain amount of time in between that next cigarette or fix of whatever your habit is. Then making the time even longer until you go a whole day without it. This will be difficult. You will probably have cravings or urges. But if you stay determined it might help with the process of cutting back and eventually reaching your goal of quitting. It will not be easy. You will have to be very determined to quit and to keep up with it.
Never get comfortable once you do quit because a person can go a while without it and then the habit creeps back up on them and they start again. You will always have to keep up with sticking to your goal of not using it anymore.
As for cutting back on drinking or trying to stop drinking. Try cutting back on the amount you drink, drink less, or eliminate one drink from that day that you normally would drink. If you are a daily drinker and want to cut back, try only drinking every other day. Or, if you drink every weekend alternate it to every other weekend or only drinking one day on the weekend and not the entire weekend.
A person doesn't have to quit drinking completely if they don't want to. But binge drinking, heavy episodic drinking (There is currently no world wide consensus on how many drinks constitute a "binge", but in the USA, the term is often taken to mean consuming five or more standard drinks (male), or four or more drinks (female), on one occasion. Heavy drinking, and even moderate drinking can come with negative health risks and cutting back on the amounts you drink can be a positive thing.
If you have an alcohol dependency and have trouble quitting on your own. The best suggestion I can give, is to seek help from a professional. Find an AA meeting or support group to help you with your dependency. Find someone who will coach you out of drinking each time you get tempted to drink. Taking steps each day can help you reach your goal. It can be very hard, and you have to really want to make these changes. But if you stick to it, you can achieve it. But the urge might always be there or come back. You may even relapse a few times before sticking to it.
I am not trying to tell anyone what to do or control anyone. I am just offering some suggestions on making and reaching goals.
Written by: Kelly R. Middleton
Sometimes though our goals can seem too big, impossible to ever reach, unrealistic. Don't be afraid to have big goals and dreams. But setting smaller goals on your way to those bigger goals can be just as rewarding and maybe even help you see that those bigger goals aren't as impossible as you once thought.
Set a goal each day and accomplish it that same day. Your goal could be anything (hopefully a positive and productive goal).
For example it could be that you want to read at least 10 pages or more of a book that day, do 20 or more of push-ups or sit-ups/crunches, or run or walk so many miles, exercises for a certain amount of time that day, complete certain assignments, talk to a friend or family you hadn't for a while, do something nice for someone else, eliminate something negative from your day, etc. You will feel really good telling yourself, I am going to do this today, and then actually do it.
If you want to eat healthier start out by replacing one bad food/meal you eat with something more healthier and keep gradually doing this and you will be eating more healthier.
If your goal is to drop a bad habit like quitting smoking or drinking or just cutting back on these things might take more than a day or week or month to accomplish them.
You can take steps each day to help you achieve that goal. Try going a certain amount of time in between that next cigarette or fix of whatever your habit is. Then making the time even longer until you go a whole day without it. This will be difficult. You will probably have cravings or urges. But if you stay determined it might help with the process of cutting back and eventually reaching your goal of quitting. It will not be easy. You will have to be very determined to quit and to keep up with it.
Never get comfortable once you do quit because a person can go a while without it and then the habit creeps back up on them and they start again. You will always have to keep up with sticking to your goal of not using it anymore.
As for cutting back on drinking or trying to stop drinking. Try cutting back on the amount you drink, drink less, or eliminate one drink from that day that you normally would drink. If you are a daily drinker and want to cut back, try only drinking every other day. Or, if you drink every weekend alternate it to every other weekend or only drinking one day on the weekend and not the entire weekend.
A person doesn't have to quit drinking completely if they don't want to. But binge drinking, heavy episodic drinking (There is currently no world wide consensus on how many drinks constitute a "binge", but in the USA, the term is often taken to mean consuming five or more standard drinks (male), or four or more drinks (female), on one occasion. Heavy drinking, and even moderate drinking can come with negative health risks and cutting back on the amounts you drink can be a positive thing.
If you have an alcohol dependency and have trouble quitting on your own. The best suggestion I can give, is to seek help from a professional. Find an AA meeting or support group to help you with your dependency. Find someone who will coach you out of drinking each time you get tempted to drink. Taking steps each day can help you reach your goal. It can be very hard, and you have to really want to make these changes. But if you stick to it, you can achieve it. But the urge might always be there or come back. You may even relapse a few times before sticking to it.
I am not trying to tell anyone what to do or control anyone. I am just offering some suggestions on making and reaching goals.
Written by: Kelly R. Middleton
