goal could be increasing your stamina enough to walk 3 miles in less than an
hour. Or say that you’re training for a 10K run in the spring, but you sprain an
ankle and have to stop running. If one of your backup goals is to strengthen
your upper body, you can still keep on track while your ankle heals.Finding Ways to Reward Yourself ................................................................
You let your kids watch their favorite video when they bring home good
grades, right? You give your golden retriever a doggy treat when he fetches
the Frisbee. Be nice to yourself, too. Attach an appropriate reward to each
of your goals. If you drop 3 percent body fat over the next two months, buy
yourself a nifty sports watch. If you lift weights three days a week for a month,
treat yourself to a massage. Sure, it’s bribery, but it works. Short-term rewards
are particularly important because there’s always a chance that you may not
make it all the way to your long-term goal. You need to give yourself credit
for making it even halfway. (By the way, triple-decker fudge cake isn’t what
we have in mind for a reward. Try to make sure your reward is as healthy as
your goal.)As with your goals, you can get pretty creative with your rewards. We know a
guy who asked a friend to hold $500 for him. If he reached his goal of losing
25 pounds, he’d get the money back and buy new clothes. If he didn’t reach
his goal, the money would become a charitable contribution to the Young
Republicans. Considering that this guy made Edward Kennedy look like Rush
Limbaugh, this was a very good incentive, indeed. The guy lost his 25 pounds.Writing Everything Down .............................................................................
Setting goals and rewards is pretty easy; forgetting what they are is even
easier. To keep yourself honest — and motivated — consider tracking your
goals and accomplishments on paper. One friend of ours tapes his goals to
the inside of his gym locker. Some people program their computers to flash
their goals on-screen twice a day. A member of Liz’s Thursday night Internet
chat group posts her fitness and weight-loss accomplishments on the mes-
sage board every week, along with a note thanking other members for their
encouraging notes. (And this idea of sharing your goals with others, even
someone in the cubicle next door, is a powerful motivator and may keep you
from giving up.) Losing 30 pounds was a big milestone for the woman and
touched off quite a bit of buzz among the regulars. Other members of the
group read these messages avidly and live vicariously through her progress;
many have been inspired to start their own fitness programs. Here are some
other ways that you can monitor your progress.36 Part I: Getting Your Butt off the Couch