Do you have goals that you haven’t met?

You aren’t alone. In fact, many people live with unfulfilled aspirations and the self-help industry is booming.

Unfortunately, many widely used self-help techniques fail to deliver results.

Case in point: You’ve probably heard of the “Yale Goal Study” in which researchers were said to have interviewed the graduating Yale seniors in 1953, asking whether or not the students had written down specific goals that they wanted to achieve. Then twenty years down the road the researchers looked up each student and discovered that the 3% of the class who had written down their goals had accumulated more personal wealth than the other 97% combined.

Very compelling story, but complete fiction.

The “Yale Goal Study” never happened, though motivational speakers and self-help books have quoted it for years.

Best selling author and psychologist Richard Wiseman went on a mission to craft a no-nonsense response to the bogus self-help techniques. Using a diverse range of scientific data he uncovered a proven approach to achieve any goal.

The following 5 successful techniques (Do This) and 5 unsuccessful techniques (Not That) are from Wiseman’s book, 59 Seconds Change Your Life in Under a Minute.

Do This: Make a Step-by-Step Plan.
If you are serious about achieving your goal, then you need to create a step-by-step plan on how to do it.

Successful goal-achievers break down their overall goal into sub-goals. Each sub-goal needs to be concrete, measurable and time-based.

Not That: Motivate yourself by focusing on someone that you admire.
Studies show that focusing on someone you admire is not a strong enough motivator to see you through your goal.
Do This: Tell Other People About Your Goal.
How badly do you want to achieve your goal? If you want it bad enough, you’ll tell your friends and family.

This technique works on two levels. First, you’ve put yourself on the spot by letting the world in on your goal, so it’s all-eyes-on-you. Failure would be public. Second, your friends and family are there to offer support and encouragement. Don’t underestimate the psychological power of having someone in your corner.

Not That: Think about the bad things.
When you focus on the negative it becomes your reality.
Do This: Focus on the Good Things When Achieving Your Goal.
Remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goal.

Make a checklist of how life will be better once you have achieved your aim. This gets your focus on a positive future, one that’s worth the effort.

Not That: Try to suppress unhelpful thoughts.
Rather than trying to erase that image of chocolate cake from your mind, learn to deal with the reality of temptation head-on.
Do This: Reward Your Progress.
Studies show that attaching rewards to each of your sub-goals encourages success.

Your rewards should never conflict with your major goal. When aiming to lose weight, never use food as a reward.

Not That: Rely on willpower.
Willpower alone rarely gets anyone to their goal.
Do This: Record Your Progress.
Make your plans, progress, benefits and rewards concrete by expressing them in writing.

Use a hand-written journal, your computer or a bulletin board to chart your progress. This process is priceless for maintaining motivation.

Not That: Daydream about life after achieving your goal.
Daydreaming is fun, but simply thinking about your new life will not make it a reality.
Are you ready to achieve your fitness and weight loss goal once and for all?

Now is your time to get into the best shape of your life.

Far too often fitness is presented as complicated and confusing.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Being fit comes from living the following simple everyday practices:

• Throw out your big dinner plates. Using small plates at home effortlessly reduces calorie intake and promotes weight loss.

• Make exercise a regular part of your life. Create a network of accountability with workout partners or by working with me, your local fitness expert.

• Know what you want to accomplish. Visualise the end result of your hard work.

• Believe in you. I know that you CAN accomplish your goals.

• Don’t be a wimp. Keep the intensity high during your workouts. Remember that you don’t want to kill time; you want to burn calories and strengthen your body through intense exercise.

• Drink water all day long.

• Know when to ask for help.

• Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training into your routine by doing bursts of high intensity rather than exercising at a single steady pace.

• Maintain your metabolism by eating a healthy snack or meal every three hours. This food should be unprocessed, low in fat and high in fiber.

• Forget will-power; it’s about WANT-power. How badly do you want it.

• Never eat processed foods. These items are high in empty calories and contain a plethora of chemicals that are harmful to your health.

• Fat contains twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and protein, so limit the amount of it that you eat. Fill your diet with lean protein and carbohydrates from leafy plants and whole grains.

• It’s OK to be a skeptic. Watch out for products that are labeled as ‘health food’. Always read the nutrition labels and make your own informed opinion.

• Talk is cheap. Act now and get the job done.

• Exercise with people that are in better shape than you. This will encourage you to push your limits.

• Never indulge in negative self-talk.

• Don’t drink calories.

• Pay attention to everything that you eat.

• Keep consistent. Exercise at least three or four times each week.

• Expect more from yourself.

• Never eat High Fructose Corn Syrup. It spikes your blood sugar levels and encourages your body to store fat.

• Eat plenty of whole plant foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are filled with fiber and antioxidants, great for good health and weight loss.

• Do your cardiovascular exercise after weight training to encourage more fat burn. Your stored sugars will be depleted during the weight training then your body will rely on fat stores to get you through the cardio workout.

• Breakfast should be a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat to get your metabolism going strong.

• If you know that you deserve better…then go get it.

• Challenge yourself during each workout. Try something new and exciting.

• Set specific, measurable goals and track your progress.

• Even if they are whole grain, eat carbohydrates sparingly. Carbohydrates are quickly stored as fat.

• Put an end to your struggle to get and stay fit.

Print this list and place it somewhere that you’ll see every day.