“Hello Diane,
The biggest key to my success has got to be the high degree of accountability I’ve placed upon myself. When I finally decided that it was time to lose weight and get fit, I told everyone I knew.”
Regards,  Murali

This recent comment really got me thinking…when only you know what your goals are, then the failure to achieve them falls completely on you, and if you tell no one, then does it even really count?

The study of human behavior as it relates to health choices has been studied to the N-th degree. Still, scientists and scholars don’t completely understand what enables one person to succeed at changing his/her health behavior and another to fall short, but many experts do agree that the role of “social support” is crucial to lasting health behavior change. In other words, don’t go it alone!

Without your cheerleaders, you will be less likely to succeed, plain and simple. The larger your support-network, the better. Your support group will keep you up when you feel down (and not to be negative, but there will be times when you will feel like giving up), they will remind you of your goal(s); hopefully will tell you that you can succeed; and will build up your self-esteem. Don’t include people in your support group who can’t fulfill these needs (and you know who these people are)!

When you’ve decided on your goal(s) for the year, tell your family, friends, neighbors, spouses and whoever will listen what your plans are and ask them to help support you along the way. You may even want to give them a copy of your written goals and ask them to check in with you regularly for a progress report. While this might seem a little scary (there is no going back once you’ve handed your list of goals to someone else), remember that a support system will help propel you forward rather than hold you back.

The support you receive could take many forms. Here is one example:

Problem: Your goal is to take a walk everyday, but the temptation to procrastinate because other items on your “to do” list, such as cleaning the house, seem more important.

Solution: Delegate. Perhaps hiring a sitter to watch the kids for an hour, or trading babysitting with a neighbor are other possible solutions. Get creative here – if your changes are to be lasting ones, there will be many obstacles to work around. Developing the confidence that you can navigate obstacles will go a long way toward improving your odds of success.

Your situation will be unique, so invest some time thinking through various obstacles you foresee, and make a list.

Now, having done that, how can you enlist the help of your support network to overcome these obstacles?

Do you have an obstacle that you were able to surmount, thanks to the help of your support network? Please share…I’d love to hear about it.