Making a road map for all of your hopes and dreams

The old saying “hope springs eternal” is certainly true at the beginning of a new year.

Numerous books have been written on how to overcome adversity and develop willpower, but positive thinking alone will not make you richer or thinner.

One of the very first books on the subject was Norman Vincent Peale’s “The Power of Positive Thinking,” but that book, and the many that followed, believe thinking is only the very first step of a series. Many have found that a pictorial road map of their goals, which they can view on a daily basis, is an excellent way to chart individual progress and help them keep their eye on the ball.

There are also classes offered in strategies for goal setting, available online or locally. I particularly like Jim Randel’s book, “The Skinny on Willpower,” because it is a super-quick read, illustrated with cute stick figures. Randel suggests to:

• Set realistic expectations (Don’t compare yourself with others).

• Identify your goal and the process to get there in specific terms.

• Turn positive activity into habits. We are what we repeatedly do.

• Divide your challenges into small, manageable pieces.

• Frame your challenges in a pleasurable, not painful, manner.

• Constantly visualize the end result.

Everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another. Sometimes it is better to concentrate on what works than spend time and energy analyzing what doesn’t work. If what you are doing isn’t bringing any results, look to change your actions, your interactions with others or what you are thinking and telling yourself.

One major exception is, unfortunately, a goal that a majority of Americans have in mind; that of weight loss. Recent scientific studies that followed contestants on “The Biggest Loser” found that after several years, all but one person had regained the weight loss.

Most discouraging of all was that their metabolism had permanently slowed, which meant they had to eat even less calories to just maintain weight. Apparently the body has a “set point” which tends to get higher with age, and we struggle to maintain that particular weight, despite our efforts to lose. New drugs are being tested, but to date major surgery is the only answer for the very obese individual.

All the above notwithstanding, it is a good idea to cut down on sugars and starch and to try to eat healthy. There are many other benefits to a good diet besides weight loss. One website I consulted suggested that goals need to be SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, Time bound).

Having goals helps you choose where you want to go in life so that you can then concentrate your efforts. It gives you longterm vision and shortterm motivation. Proof that you can achieve your goal at any age — 101-year-old Carmen Herrera just had her first solo exhibition at a major museum and gave the following advice to young, struggling artists.

“Patience dears, patience.” As that wonderful song from “South Pacific” put it, “If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?”