Friday, February 27, 2009

all or nothing.

I am having a hard time leaving comments on other peoples blogs that require word verification. I am not sure if it is just my computer or if it is the website.

My blood sugar level has been good so far. I have not been writing down all my food. I hate taking the time to do it, but damn it, I have to be honest with myself. Keeping track of food is the only thing that works for me.

I quit my classes this semester. I wasn't happy. I think it has a lot to do with perfectionism and not wanting to work hard at something. I seem to quit things that take a lot of effort to excel in. so with that in mind I am going to do my best to work on the suggestions below. My goal tomorrow is to go for a walk and log everything I eat.



* Realistic goals. Set realistic and reachable goals based on your own wants and needs and on what you have accomplished in the past. This will enable you to achieve and also will lead to a greater sense of self-esteem.

* Modest improvements. Set subsequent goals in a sequential manner. As you reach a goal, set your next goal one level beyond your present level.

* Try for less than 100%. Experiment with your standards for success. Choose any activity and instead of aiming for 100%, try for 90%, 80%, or even 60% success. This will help you to realize that world does not end when you are not perfect.

* Focus on process. Focus on the process of doing an activity not just on the end result. Evaluate your success not only in terms of what you accomplished but also in terms of how much you enjoyed the task.

* Check your feelings. Use feelings of anxiety and depression as opportunities to ask yourself, "Have I set up impossible expectations for myself in this situation?"

* Face your fears. Confront the fears that may be behind your perfectionism by asking yourself, "What am I afraid of? What is the worst thing that could happen?"

* Celebrate your mistakes. Recognize that many positive things can only be learned by making mistakes. When you make a mistake ask, "What can I learn from this experience?" More specifically, think of a recent mistake you have made and list all the things you can learn from it.

* Discriminate. Avoid all-or-nothing thinking in relation to your goals. Learn to discriminate the tasks you want to give high priority to from those tasks that are less important to you. On less important tasks, choose to put forth less effort.

3 comments:

  1. Sounds like you have a great plan. Sometimes, it is still hard, even when you think you have it planned. Good Luck to you. I have been trying really hard the past couple of days, but I really WANT some chocolate cake. Oh well, I'm gonna hold out as long as I can. Have a great Friday.....I look forward to getting to know you better!!!

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  2. I can totally relate to your perfectionism, I am the same way, but making an effort to change. I have been in school forever and still am in school and I am 37, with one son in college and another soon to be there. I used to quit classes if I didnt think I was going to get an "A." Learning to give yourself a break is tough, trust me, I know, but it's something you have to do, even if you have to try doing it everyday.

    There is a new site called goalsforit.com, I just signed up, it lets you track your goals online. Maybe this could help with you tracking yours. :-)

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  3. i envy people like you that can list goals to address problems... so thoughtful. i am doomed to a much messier shotgun approach

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