The Future Is In Your Hands

Goal-setting is about being clear about what you need to do to achieve
something. It might sound like a bit of a pain, but research has shown that
setting goals is a great way to achieve the things you want to do.

Why set goals?
Some common things people have found goal-setting to help with are:

getting good grades
dealing with depression or anxiety
making new friends
getting a job
doing chores
doing well at sport
stopping addictions to things like drugs, alcohol, gambling

Motivation
Motivation is what drives you to get things done - it drives you to achieve goals that you setOur motivations for doing different things can vary, and so can the results.If you are studying something at college because you didn't know what else to do, or your parents wanted you to do it, your motivation may not be great. However, if you are really interested in
a subject, or can see that it will get you into the sort of work you really want, your motivation will be high. To succeed in work or study, you need skills and information - but these will not be of much help if motivation is not there. By setting goals, getting in a routine, and seeing that you are making progress you can keep yourself motivated for just about anything.

Dreaming and goal-setting
Take a minute to think about where you want to go in life. Can you come up with a dream picture of yourself in 12 months, 5 years, or beyond? The picture might be having a party with loads of friends, writing a successful novel, getting a
degree, travelling the world, or whatever. Your dream picture might seem hard to achieve, but you don't have to do it all at once. By breaking your goal down in to smaller, manageable steps, you can begin to make progress. If you don't make
your smaller goals manageable, you will find you lose that precious motivation due to predictable failures. One way to work through your goals is to think of things you could do tomorrow, and the day after, and so on. So, if your goal is to
make new friends in the next 6 months, your first goal might be to work out what to say to someone you don't know well.

Write it down
Studies show that writing down your goal is a way to make a mental commitment to the
goal.Write down your dream. Now, what is the very first thing you need to do? Write thisdown. When will you do it by? How will you do it? Write it all down. If your goal is to get into shape, what sort of exercise will you start to do?

Reward yourself
One good way to keep the motivation up is to reward yourself when you achieve goals -
even the easiest ones, such as calling a gym to check the prices, or making your bed.

Tripping on the steps
If you miss a goal, or break a routine you are trying to keep, don't be too hard on
yourself This is all part of the process. Focus on the positive things you have achievedso far. Now think about the last goal you had - was it realistic; do you need to break it down smaller? Then get back into it.

Keeping positive
The people you hang out with can influence your motivation and how positive you are. It's a good idea to have someone supportive to encourage you along, and even better if this supportive person wants to try and reach the same goals. If you find that someone is making you slip up more, it might be a good idea to go it alone or find another supportive person to discuss your goals with.

Routine
When you first start, it can seem really hard to get going towards your goals. This is normal, as creating change can be tough. With good routines, over time it gets easier. The cravings for cigarettes, the desire to eat junk food, the anxiety in
social situations, these all reduce over time with a good routine. Now don't forget to have fun, will you? You won't stay motivated if all you do is worry about achieving your goals. Remember, everything in moderation, including moderation.

Reprinted from: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=240&np=298&id=2401