To change your circumstances and to improve your life we all know we must set goals.  When you set goals, remember they are to challenge you out of that comfort you so want to wallow in.  Goals are to be on-going throughout your life.  You can’t just set a goal, reach it, and then stay there.  That’s not how it works.  Once you reach one goal, you must make another, and another, and another.  The goal is not the end.  Instead, they are designed to force you to reach for more, to be happier, and hopefully live a life full of great adventures, meeting wonderful people, and having glorious experiences.

Here are 5 tips on how to get started on those personal goals to improve your life.

1. Set a goal that motivates you – choose something you can accomplish over a set time frame.
2. Write down your goals dividing them into short-term, (within 12 months) and long-term, (1-5 years).
3. Post your goals where you can see them every day – on your bathroom mirror or the refrigerator.
4. Adjust your goals as you get closer to meeting them.
5. Reward yourself once you accomplish a goal, (dinner out, a spa day, personal item you’ve always wanted).

Setting and achieving goals, no matter what they are helps us grow, forcing us to step outside our comfort zone, and ultimately increases our self-esteem.  It is believed that self-esteem peaks in middle age and then drops after age 60 when people enter retirement.  In your 40s to 50s we tend to have the highest self-esteem, since mid-life is a time of stable work, family, and romantic relationships.

As someone just starting out – you want to always outwardly show confidence and self-worth, so here are 5 tips to boost your self-esteem.

1. Dress well and look good.  Having a polished appearance makes you feel better about yourself.
2. Learn something new.  Take a class, find a hobby, volunteer.
3. Challenge yourself physically.  This could be anything that gets you moving, preferably with other people.
4. Make a list of your life achievements, personal strengths, and talents.  Read this list every day.

Be kind to yourself.  Leave past thoughts in the past and focus on new adventures.  Focus on what you can do now and surround yourself with supportive, kind, and loving people.

Christine’s Tip:

Strong self-esteem and constant goal setting are the keys to becoming successful in everything you do in life regardless of age.  The only thing missing is your determination to really do it.  Once you have all three you will become unstoppable since that unwavering determination to meet your goals, is the iron fist that will crush procrastination and fear.