goal setting

Sports are a great way for children to have fun, make friends, and learn lessons that also apply off the field. But it can be too easy for kids and parents alike to get caught up in hypercompetitiveness, especially on the heels of the Olympics excitement of the past few weeks.

Before you start fantasizing about signing day or gold-medal moments, teach your little athlete to enjoy the rewards that sports have to offer, at every level. Remember, it's just a game — and a growing opportunity! Here's how to be the encourager, not the coach, and let you and your child get the most enjoyment out of sports.

• Focus on fun: Fun is the first order of business for both you and your little tyke. This should be the biggest motivation for your child to stay in the game. Enjoy watching him improve, joining the pizza parties, and seeing him make new friends. If you remain lighthearted and appreciate your child's progress without getting too serious, then she can set her own goals and be accountable to herself for her achievements.
• Winning is NOT everything: Winning isn't everything, ever, especially when when your child is just starting out. Although beating a rival is thrilling, it won't make or break your kid's athletic career, so don't allow big wins to become the focus. Instead, focus on staying active, making improvements, and demonstrating sportsmanship throughout the season. Learning how to handle a loss is just as important as celebrating a win.
• For love of the game: Make sure your child is doing something she enjoys. Don't put her in a sport because you were a college track star or your carpool signed up. If your little one loves to climb everything in site, then maybe gymnastics is the perfect fit. If you haven't been able to get him out of the pool this Summer, then look into registering with a swim team. Be open to the idea of trying several sports before settling on just one.
• Dare to compare?: Yes, it is human nature, but do your best not to compare your child's potential to others. Factors like strength, ability, and coordination vary so much among children in their developmental years that it would be unfair to compare your child to his teammates, even in your head. Instead, help him set realistic goals within his own abilities that will challenge but not overwhelm him, keeping him interested without burning him out or discouraging him. It is important to want your child to be at his best, not the best.

Source: Flickr user Geomangio

Not only is a nutritional counseling session with C&J Nutrition part of the grand prize for our Get Fit For 2011 giveaway, but the duo of registered dietitians want to help you catch up on your Get Fit For 2011 challenges. These gals have some great advice for giving up a vice, the 10th challenge of the contest. Here are their tips.

Very few people can quit a vice cold turkey. Most of us need some sort of ongoing support to stick with healthy changes until they're ingrained in our life enough to make them permanent. That support comes from many different places — co-workers, family, friends, etc. — but the most important source of support is YOU. Here are a few tips for helping yourself stick with the plan to give up a vice, both immediately and in the longterm.

1. Set goals that are challenging yet attainable. It feels great to meet a goal. It feels even better to struggle a bit and feel challenged and finally meet a goal. On the other hand, it doesn't do you any good to set a goal that is unrealistic for your life. Instead, set a goal that you can achieve but that will challenge you. In order to determine this, ask yourself what it would take on a daily basis to achieve your goal/give up your vice. If your list of daily activities to achieve the goal are things that are feasible with some effort, then it's challenging yet realistic. If your list gives you an ulcer because you're pretty sure you can't (or won't) do most of the things on it consistently, then it's probably not a realistic goal for you right now.
2. Make mini-goals and track them daily. What are the daily habits it will take to make your goal a reality? If you're giving up mindless snacking in front of the TV at night, the daily mini-goals might be: Making a list of things to do other than eating at night and checking it when you feel like snacking; doing exercises in between commercial breaks on TV; putting all food into cabinets and out of sight after a certain time; eating all snacks from a portioned out bowl — not straight from the container. Once you have your mini-goals solidified, write them down, visit them daily, and keep track of your achievements.

Keep reading for two more great tips!

Setting fitness, weight loss, and health goals may be easy enough, but attaining your target can require small miracles. We battle willpower, bustling schedules, energy levels and drive every day, and much like budgeting, the "ain't nothing to it, but to do it" mentality can be hard to master.

Writing positive affirmations, goals, and reminders on Post-it notes works for some, but if you prefer the paperless route consider setting reminders on the smartphone you use everyday. If you're an iPhone user, the free Countdown app lets you store multiple events (or goals) and offers a simple countdown mechanism that will help keep your mind on the goal. If you're down with the Droid, check out Countdown, a widget-inspired app that can be set as your background image so you get a reminder every time you get a glance at your homescreen. Program your app to mark your next big race, the date you want popping biceps by, or the next time you want to wear that teeny tiny party dress.

Photo copyright 2010 ABC Inc.