Aim Not for Perfection but to Please Yourself

Like me, I'm sure you always try your hardest to stay on top of things, but sometimes you get derailed. An unexpected phone call makes you run 15 minutes late. One of your children stays home from school with a cold, and you need to stay home, too. Or you have lunch with a friend and taste a few bites of her chocolate mousse. Then what happens? You get angry with yourself.

You aim for perfection and then get upset when you miss the mark. And that's negativity you just don't need! We all make mistakes (it's human!), but you can't let those slipups get the best of you. Don't get discouraged if you fall off your diet or miss a workout — and certainly don't throw in the towel! Plan to do better tomorrow: Do an extra 15 minutes of cardio and a few extra reps of each exercise in your strength-training workout, or walk a little bit further.

Remember: One failure doesn't have to stop your progress or take away from all you've achieved until then. Put in a little extra work later, and relax and enjoy your day.