Health Secrets

Losing weight isn’t just about burning more calories than you take in. If it were that simple, losing weight would be simple.

One of the most important things you can do when you’re trying to lose weight is set some goals.

Fortunately, in the world of weight loss, goal setting is fairly common so this probably isn’t some new and weird concept to you. Some common goals:
Lose 20 lbs
Look good in a swimsuit
Get rid of love handles

Goals Must Be Specific
However, one thing about goals is that they do need to be specific. The general, “I want to lose weight” goal isn’t going to help you. The people who have that goal tend to get nowhere. If you have a certain weigh you’d like to get down to, then write down the exact number. If there’s a certain size you’d like to be able to wear again, write down the number. Looking good in a swimsuit is really only something the mirror can tell you, so while goals like that are important, it’s important to have goals that are specific and measurable.

Goals Must Be Written
Verbal goals are just not as powerful as written goals. You need to take the time to write down your goals. And once you’ve written down your goals, you don’t store them away in a drawer never to be seen again. You should put them someplace prominent and review them at least everyday, multiple times a day is even better. When you’re constantly aware of your goals, it’s much easier to achiever them.

Goals Should Be Big
You should have an ultimate goal that is BIG. You want goals that are going to make you stretch to try to achieve them. While it’s important to have small daily and weekly goals, you need an ultimate goal that you’re trying to achieve down the road – make it big. Make it something you dream about.

Must Have Short Term, Medium Term, and Long Term Goals
The one problem with goals that are one year or several years in the future is that there is no immediate pressure to achieve them. You need to have shorter term goals as well – 3 month, weekly, and even daily goals, that will all help you achieve your ultimate goal. A three month goal is especially useful because there’s enough time to see some pretty good results, but there’s still a sense of urgency to work on it right away or you might not hit your target.

You should have daily goals to help you form new habits. For example, a great daily goal is to drink at least 64 ounces of water. It’s not that hard to do, but if you do it everyday, it’ll make a difference.

Goals Should Have Deadlines
John Carlton, the great copywriter, once said “The greatest invention ever, which will never be surpassed, is the deadline, for without it, there would be no other invention.”
Without a deadline on your goals, you’re making it tougher to reach your goals. That’s why you divide you deadlines up in to periods, like daily, weekly, 3 month, 1 year, and ultimate goals. This gives you a deadline so there’s some pressure on you to actually accomplish it. If your goal is to “someday” lose weight, then you’re not likely to ever accomplish it.

One program I recommend for those looking to achieve more, whether that be weight loss, make more money, or something else entirely is called Simpleology. It’s a program that you do every morning when you get up, and if you follow the program you’ll definitely find yourself accomplishing your goals faster. Oh yeah – the cool thing about it is that it’s FREE.

Okay, well that covers my crash course on setting goals.