Important things to remember

1) You are an individual – what works for your family/friends may not work for you.

You may have the same goals, but the way you get there may be different for you. If what you are doing isn’t working well, don’t give up.  Experiment with other ways of meeting your goal and stick with what works for YOU.

2) Ask for help and get support.

For some reason, a lot of us think we need to do the tough things in life by ourselves.  Reach out to someone you trust and who supports you.  Go to a support group.  If emotions are interfering with your achieving your goals, see a counselor.  Share your challenges with others who can encourage and support you.

3) Rewards aren’t just for kids!

Find some way to reward yourself for small bits of success.  Treat yourself to a luxurious bath or special time with a friend or loved one.  Treat yourself to a movie or some time with a favorite book.  Star charts even work.  Earn enough stars to get a bigger reward, like a weekend trip or a long anticipated purchase.

4) Prepare (as much as possible) for any barriers to success.

Figure out what may stop you from meeting your goal (or has stopped you in the past) and how you can deal with these challenges.

5) You are human and humans are imperfect.

Behavior change takes time.  You can’t predict everything that may interfere with your goals.  You will have times when you don’t make the choices you’d like to.  Learn from these experiences rather than beat yourself up about them.  Don’t give up!

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