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Often we are not questioning if the GOALS are worth it, but if WE are worth it. It's not so much a case of doubting our goals, but doubting ourselves.

This is perfectionist, black and white thinking. It will sabotage us faster than just about anything else.

Oe of my favorite things that I hear on a popular help show is that change is not a success only journey. That means that along the way we are going to make mistakes. It is how we deal with those mistakes on a very personal level that defines how we proceed. 

Think about how you reacted when you made a mistake this week. Did you beat yourself up? Did you pull away from your support system? Did you try to "hide"? Did you get angry and start saying things like "It isn't even worth it! I'll never ____ (lose the weight, get fast enough, be strong enough, break that habit)!"?

All of these behaviors are deflectors and saboteurs that keep you from achieving your goals. You can surround yourself with support, but when it comes down to it, only YOU are the one who controls your success. You can be your worst enemy, or your best friend. Your biggest critic, or your loudest cheerleader.

When I had attempted to lose weight in the past I went through this scenario every single time. I'd start out gung ho, then something would happen and I'd make a mistake. Instead of saying "Hey, I messed up...but I'm human and I can learn from this and move on." I would start doubting myself, my inner monologue would play a loop of "See, I knew you couldn't do it! You're never going to lose this weight. I knew you'd fail. Just deal with it. You're fat, you'll always be fat."

Without fail this translated into failure Every Single Time. I sunk my own battleship!

This last time I started, in February of 2002, I actually spent January working through all of the things that had derailed me in the past and what I discovered was that it wasn't a lack of determination, a lack of willpower, or a lack of motivation. Every single time, it was not feeling worthy of the effort. Realizing that was a breakthrough for me, and it can be for you.

Planning to succeed is more than just having the physical tools and equipment to move forward, it's also about having the mental and emotional tools. The effort to prepare is worth it. Why? Because YOU are worth it!