Keep your intentions realistic

"I'm going to work out at least 5 days a week."

"I'm going to stop eating sweets."

"I'm not shopping at all this month."

How often do you make vague ridiculously overambitious goals that get you nowhere?  

Every January, gym membership skyrockets.  People promise that they will go to the gym everyday for at least 1 hour.  Late February, early March settles in, and the same people are sitting at home watching television, promising that they will go to the gym tomorrow, or during the weekend, or next week, for sure.

How many people around you have claimed that they’re going on a crash diet?  When was the last time you noticed them losing any weight? 95% of people who lose weight by dieting will regain it in 1-5 years

Too much too soon is a setup for disaster.  

When your intentions are not realistic, they will not become reality.  

When we try to do too much all at once, we soon find ourselves unable to keep pace with our intentions.  Then we start making excuses for our noncompliance.  Then we just give up and pretend our intentions never happened.

People who attempt drastic diets end up binge eating and becoming more overweight.  People who attempt to drastically cut back on their spending end up binge spending and getting more in debt.

Set realistic and specific intentions that will challenge you, but not overwhelm you.   When we overwhelm ourselves, we often end up disappointed with our failure.  Start small, and more importantly, stay consistent.

“This week, I will work out for 1 hour on Tuesday night and 1 hour on Saturday afternoon.”

“I will consciously spend 20% of my income on things that make me happy and not feel guilty about it because I am implementing the perfect budget solution."

“I will automatically transfer 20% of each paycheck into my savings account and at least 10% of each paycheck into my investment / retirement account(s)”

What realistic goals will you set for yourself?