Where Have You Been Successful? Sometimes our goals and resolutions can seem really hard, but there are different ways to keep motivated and moving forward.  Sometimes we can change things around by looking at it in a new way.   One of the best ways to gain fresh perspective is to examine your past goals.  Taking a look back can be incredibly powerful when you highlight the positive and successful things.  Examine Your Past You can start by looking at the goal or resolution you’re currently working toward to find examples of times where you have been successful.  For example, if you’ve hit a plateau in your weight loss, look back on the ways you’ve overcome a plateau in the past.  Reminding yourself of these accomplishments can give you the resolve to tackle the obstacle you may come up against now. If you’re finding it difficult just starting out and you don’t have successes to pull from with your current goal, then find a different area where you had to overcome difficulties and draw on that experience.  This lets you see that you’ve done hard things in the past and builds up your confidence to know you can do hard things again! Write It Down Once you’ve started thinking of the times in which you’ve been successful in the past, write them down so you can revisit them when needed.  Record the past triumphs related to your current goal, but also choose other accomplishments that you are especially proud of. You may even want to add photos of certificates and awards or copies of positive employment reviews, congratulatory notes from colleagues, or social proof. Things along those lines. These can be a great visual reminders. But don’t stop there. If you want to keep the motivation going it’s a good idea to keep a weekly record of small things that you do well. Include tasks you accomplish for work, small wins in your personal life or projects you’ve taken care of around the house. Doing so can be a powerful confidence booster for when you’re not feeling that great about your progress. Make a Plan Use the list as a resource for making a plan to attack current obstacles. Going back to our hypothetical weight loss plateau, you could review the goals you’ve accomplished already on the road to becoming more fit. Write down the tangible steps you took to get there and then take it farther by making a list of your personal traits that allowed you to make those goals a reality.  Then brainstorm ways you can use those qualities to move past obstacles that come up.  Don’t be afraid to delve deep and be honest with yourself so you can push past your road blocks!