We all have goals and aspirations. Sometimes we have difficulty knowing where to start. We want that new body, or want to be healthy and have more energy, but we just do not know what the first step is. In addition, the road to our goals is sometimes a rocky one. It is difficult to transgress and sometimes we just want to give up. We sometimes forget that our current situation did not occur overnight and so changing it will not happen overnight either. It will take time and hard work. I offer you eight techniques that have brought success to others just like you. They will help you obtain and retain motivation so that you can start on the path to achieving your goals today. 我们都有目标和追求，有时却不知如何起步去追求。我们想要好身材、更健康，更有活力，可是却都不知道第一步该怎么做。而且，通往目标的道路有时候会坎坷不平，它很难走，于是我们有时候干脆想放弃。我们时常会忘记了自己目前的处境不是“一日之寒”，要改变也不是“一朝一夕”能成功的，而需要时间和努力。下面我为你提供了八个已经把人们带向成功的方法，来帮你来获得动力、保持动力，让你在今天就踏上通往实现目标的道路。

    1) Set only one goal at a time.

    一次一个目标

    When you try take on too much at once, you can become overwhelmed quickly. Instead of trying to tackle three or four goals try to prioritize them. Create a list and take one goal at a time. Once you achieve that goal, back to your list mark it off, and move to the next one. The act of marking off the goals and achieving them individually will give you a greater sense of accomplishment. You can even break the one goal done into smaller parts. This gives you motivation and success more often than waiting for days or months to achieve a larger goal. 一次想做太多的事情，你会很快变得手忙脚乱。不要试图一次完成三、四个目标，要将它们优先化。作一份目标清单，一次取其中一个目标。一旦成功实现后，从你的清单上把它划掉，继续下一个。这种“划”目标、逐个实现的办法会给你更多成就感。 甚至你还能把一个目标分化成数个“小目标”。这比等上数天或数月实现一个“大”目标能获得更多动力和成就感。

    For example, let us say you want to lose thirty pounds in 45 days. Break the goal down weekly to losing about five pounds a week. You can make up a calendar and mark off the week as you achieve your weekly goal. If you did not achieve your goal that week, adjust the other weeks according and still give yourself credit for what you did achieve. 比如：你想用45天减肥30磅。 将这一目标划分为每周减大约5磅。你可以创建一份日历，每周实现了目标，就将这一周划去。如果没按周实现目标，那么可以调整到后面数周，这样过去的成绩仍会获得认可。

    你真的了解你的所求吗？有目标是好事，但如果方向错了的话，再努力也不能得到你真正想要的。所以，请仔细思考：这真是我想要的吗？

    2) Evaluate your desire and motivation.

    认准所求和动力

    People often think they know what they want. The good news is that if you set a goal and work hard, you are likely to achieve it. The bad news is that it might not really be what you want. 人们总是认为自己知道想要什么。好的方面是：如果你设定了一个目标，并且为之努力，你就可能实现。坏的方面是：这个目标也许不是你真正想要的。

    Suppose you want to date a girl at the gym. You overheard her say that she likes men with large muscular arms. You set the goal of working extra everyday to achieve bigger than life biceps and triceps. You reach your goal after grueling hours of sweat and pain. In the meantime, she met a guy half the size as you, and who was available because he was not in the gym 12 hours a day. 假设你想和一位健身房的MM约会。你偷听到这位MM说她喜欢手臂肌肉壮的男性。于是你设定了每天额外运动来获得更大肌肉的目标。在不知流了多少汗、吃了多少苦后实现了目标。与此同时，她却看上了比你小一半的男人，那个人有时间，因为（不像你）他不会一天12小时泡在健身房。

    You reached your goal of large arms, but set the wrong goal of trying to get a date with a particular girl. Make sure you are really reaching for what you really want in life. You can achieve what you sought and still feel empty inside. 你是达到了让手臂肌肉发达的目标，但是，对于争取要和某个MM约会来说，这个目标设错了。你一定要为生活中真正想要的东西努力。（因为不然的话）你可能会达到了追求的目标而仍感到内心空虚。(to be continued)