Five Facts About Goal Setting

As we all know，goal setting plays an important role in realizing our dreams. However，we don't know exactly how to deal with it. The following tips on goal setting can help make it easier to set and reach goals：【小题1】

When it comes to making a change，the people who succeed are those who set realistic and specific（具体的）goals. "I'm going to recycle all my plastic bottles，soda cans，and magazines" is a much more realizable goal than "I'm going to do more for the environment". And that makes it easier to stick with.

It takes time for a change to become a stable habit.

It will probably take a couple of months before any changes become a regular part of your life. 【小题2】That's because your brain needs time to get used to the idea that this new thing you're doing is a part of your regular routine.

Repeating a goal makes it stick in your mind.

Say your goal out loud each morning to remind yourself of what you want and what you're working for. 【小题3】Every time you remind yourself of your goal，you're training your brain to make it happen.

Pleasing other people doesn't work.

【小题4】You have to do it because you want it，not because a girlfriend，boyfriend，coach，parent，or someone else wants you to.It will be harder to stay on track and motivated if you're doing something out of duty to another person.

Roadblocks don't mean failure.

Mistakes are actually parts of the learning process as you retrain your brain into a new way of thinking. 【小题5】But that's OK—it's normal to mess up or give up a few times when you are trying to make a change. So remember that everyone slips up（疏忽）and don't beat yourself up about it. Just remind yourself to get back on track.

   For many，running has never been their favorite activity. But running can certainly be a great way to get fit and stay healthy.

Getting started is difficult.【小题1】 Running can be boring at times，but the effect on your body and mind is well worth that struggle of just getting up and running.

【小题2】 Every major city and many smaller cities have running communities. They are quite organized and willing to help. They will help you see your running goals through.

Start with short distances. Though the running community would love to have a new long-distance runner tomorrow，the fact is that that will not happen overnight. Try running one mile every day for the next 3 weeks. After that，add it to two miles and so on.【小题3】

Take part in a race. By signing up for a race in the near future，you will focus on a goal and be motivated（激励）to keep practicing for that event. I suggest signing up for a 5-kilometer race that will take place within one month.【小题4】

【小题5】 Motivation is a major factor in running success. Bring a friend along to push you through the times and motivate you in his own way.

   Living with a roommate can be a great experience as many roommates become lifelong friends. However ,roommates living together under the same roof for a long time unavoidably have conflicts（冲突） with each other. 【小题1】To prevent this from happening to you,each conflict should be handled in a productive,healthy way.

Once conflicts occur, you need to set up a time to discuss the conflict. 【小题2】 They may think about any problems they want to discuss. It also allows for a better discussion as both roommates will most likely enter the discussion fairly calm.

Before discussing the actual conflicts, set up some rules to guide the discussion. For example, each roommate is allowed to bring up one problem at a time and the other roommate has a chance to respond to it before another one is brought up. Making rules beforehand can prevent a screaming match from breaking out. 【小题3】

You can use your discussion to point out to your roommates their great advantages and specific things you like about them. While this won't solve the conflict, it can help your roommates be more understanding of your point of view and more willing to compromise（妥协）.

Once dissatisfaction has been said by both parties you should develop a roommate agreement that is written down. This agreement should discuss what the rules are as well as what results exist for breaking them. For example,roommates having a conflict about overnight guests may compromise to allow overnight guests only on weekends or guests on weekdays leaving by 11 p. m. 【小题5】 .

   Everyone can benefit from good communication（交流）.【小题1】. Of course，we know that isn’t true，but this shouldn’t stop you improving your communication skills. Here are a few tips to help you become a better communicator.

【小题2】

Verbal（口头的）language is only one part of the communication—body language is another. If you once wanted to know how to tell if someone is lying，body language is the answer. Your body language tells other people what you aren’t verbally saying，such as if you are anxious，confident，confused，angry or in any other type of emotion or state of mind. If you become great at reading body language，it will help you become a better communicator.

Listen to others

Before you begin to speak，take a minute to see if anyone else has something to say.【小题3】 .Listening to others has many benefits，such as allowing you to learn new things or get the information that you may later need.

Think before you speak

Your parents probably have told you this since you were a child，but many people still do not take a moment to think about the words they are about to say.【小题4】. There is a time and place for all words and tones of voice.

【小题5】. You will have to practice your communication skills before you can become an excellent communicator.