Goals

It's important to set goals during your journey. Keep in mind that in order to stay motivated, these goals have to be REALISTIC and easily attainable. Many people make the mistake of having unrealistic short-term weight loss goals, and thus, get discouraged easily. Each goal should act as a motivational tool to help you continue on with the journey, and to reach your other goals (whether they are fitness goals or not). You should start by having smaller goals, instead of having a big one such as losing 40 lbs by March (it's Feb. 10, 2011 -- not happening, unless you take an unhealthy route...and we don't want this).

Reward yourself when you reach a goal! So you lost your first 5 lbs! Congratulations! You should go out and celebrate! Reward yourself with a new pair of jeans, go out for a refreshing walk around the park, or the beach (sorry Northern friends and followers, I live in Puerto Rico), buy a book, or cook a succulent healthy meal for your family and/or friends!

Write down your goals. Categorize your goals by type too: weight loss, exercise, drawing, reading, sports, etc. Plan your goals and go through all the details: when to start, when to finish, etc. Track your progress as you go. For every goal you reach, just cross it off the list! Being able to see all the crossed out goals can be a huge motivation. Instead of saying "I am going to do this" it says "I am doing this"!

Plan for setbacks. Shit Setbacks happen! Don't let them discourage you. Instead, just use those as motivation to work harder at your goals. Maybe it's your body's way of telling you that you need to work harder. Or maybe it's your body's way of telling you that maybe you shouldn't have had that extra serving of dessert at last weekend's family reunion (or office party).

Just remember that your goals are to help you stay motivated.

In case you are wondering, here are some of my goals:
- Drink more water. I already drink water as it is. I don't drink soda (never have), I have a glass of milk a day, and sometimes the occasional lemonade. But I still don't drink enough water during the day.
- Lose 5lbs by March. I've already lost 2...come on those extra 3lbs!!
- Study hard and train harder at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I am very close from a belt upgrade. I want to be able to say that I earned this belt!
- Sketch every day. Inspired by the book You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons, I want to be able to keep a sketch-journal (or diary).
- Improve my posture. I used to have good posture, then I got a job that required for me to be on a computer from 9am - 6pm. I need to work on my posture 24-7!

What are some of your goals?