Picking concrete numbers instead of vague goals

Have you ever said to yourself "I'll try to eat more healthy"? "I'll try to get organized?" Don't.

"I'll try to eat more healthy" doesn't really say anything. What does "more healthy" mean?

• "I'll only eat vegetables and fruits instead of the sugar packed junk I'm used to"?
• "Ok, I'll eat an apple if I forgot to buy the junk food I'm used to"?
• What does "I'll try" mean anyway?

If you really want to reach your goal, you have to define the very first thing you have to change or do to make your goal a reality. Your first step to eating more healthy could be "I'll eat at least 3 kinds of fruit every single day". There are no excuses like "but I drank a diet-coke" when you took the junk food instead of the healthy fruits. At the end of the day, you can review if you've reached your goal. The next day you'll think twice before you grab the junk food.


Not only is it easy to review this goal. It's also easy to plan ahead to make this goal a reality. If you're in the store with "I'll try to eat more healty" all kinds of excuses might come up. Like "Yeah, I'd really like to make this healthy dinner, but unfortunately I don't know the recipe right now, so I don't know what to buy. Maybe tomorrow."

On the other hand "3 kinds of fruit every single day" is a clear thing. You have to buy 3 kinds of fruit. Today.