I'm Bringin' Sexy Back Part 3: Having Goals

*Justin Timberlake

Ok so with the changes in my schedule, like the trip to Colorado, and the effects of my monotonous routine, I've become not-so-successful in my getting fit scheme. It's just a couple days until I fly out to the east coast, and I'm feeling like a failure. So last night I developed a list of goals.

Goals are super important in the planning of any major change. And not just the obvious ultimate goal. That, of course, is where you are hoping to end up and without it you wouldn't have had a reason to make a change in the first place. But the whole process can become rather mountainous looking without smaller, shorter-term goals. With these mini-goals, you can not only track your progress, but also celebrate the milestones in your path. How can you get discouraged when your celebrating victory on the regular?

Jillian Michaels, author of Winning by Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life and my mentor in this process, recommends daily, weekly, and monthly goals. She also insists that you plan ways to celebrate hitting these targets that are NOT FOOD RELATED. This tip is obviously for those who are trying to lose weight, but I think it's a good tip for anyone. No sense in overcoming one obstacle by taking on another.

When you figure out your daily, weekly, and monthly aspirations, it's a good idea to write them down. This act will help solidify them in your mind, and, if placed in a high-traffic area, a great way to remind you what you're working for. Accountability helps you stick too, so give someone else a copy of your list and tell them to check up on you. It might seem a little silly right now, but who'll have the last laugh?

"The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them." -Denis Watley

"I feel that the most important step in any major accomplishment is setting a specific goal. This enables you to keep your mind focused on your goal and off the many obstacles that will arise when you're striving to do your best." -Kurt Thomas

"If you're bored with life -- you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things -- you don't have enough goals." -Lou Holtz