12 Things to Accomplish by Christmas 2009

I know, I know, how can I already be talking about Christmas when we just left the dead tree at the curb for the boy scouts to take? Well here's my thought.. If I can get you to make one goal each month a reality for you then yes I will talk about Christmas already.

So here we are in 2009. I have one question for you....What are you going to do to make 2009 your year to SHINE?

I have a challenge for you. Each month at the beginning of each month I will post a new goal setting homework assignment. All you have to do is pick one and go for it. By the time you reach the end of the year you will have 12 new goals accomplished for this year. I think that it's worth the efforts on my part, now show me what you can do.

Need accountability? Then email me your goal and let me know if you reached it or if you need help in the process. It has been proven that if you tell someone your goal it will make you more accountable in the long run.

So here we go....now it's up to you.

I would like to suggest that you start slow but start right now and set your first goal of the year 2009. Pick one thing you'd like to accomplish by January 30th. Heck it can be anything you want. But of course it has to be related to making your life that much more healthier and fun. Did you expect anything else?

Here is your homework for today:

1. Pick one goal you want to achieve by the end of January 2009.
2. Write it down and post it somewhere you can read it each morning when you arise
3. Visualize yourself each night before bedtime, successfully achieving your goals
4. Tell someone about your goal. This makes you accountable to someone else other
than yourself.

Try not to make it too complicated. Make it fun and realistic. Here are some examples of what you may think about doing for yourself. Now you have no excuse...just get up and get ready for your day.

* Try 3 new fruits or veggies
* Lose 5 pounds
* Start making bedtime earlier and get more rest on two specific days a week
* Increase your water intake by 1 extra 8oz glass of water
* Make your lunch every day from something healthy and nutritionist

What do you need to guard yourself against when making goals for yourself? Well it's Complacency. That is hearing something so many times that it no longer makes an impact. Complacency happens to all of us, unless we guard against it. This tends to happen with things we are comfortable with, things that are around us every day.

So live on the edge a little, challenge yourself and make yourself uncomfortable so you move forward in your change. Once you reach your goal you will wonder why you didn't make the decision long ago.

So stay focused, live aggressively and....

Always do the things you think you can't!!

Here is a great recipe for some great all time snacks without all the bad stuff. My friend, Dr. Chris Mohr, RD makes Sweet Potato Fries not only scrumptious but healthy too!!

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

serves 4-6
1 - 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
(preferably the easy release kind).

• Peal the sweet potatoes. Cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on
each side.

• Place the sweet potatoes into a sealable plastic bag. Add oil, salt, paprika
and cinnamon. Seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries.
Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

There you have it -- a healthy alternative to regular fries and a darn good one too!! If you don't like the heat, leave out the paprika.

Make it a Healthy Day!