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To the extent that you are able, help create a positive environment for the person to work on his/her goals. Help remove distractions and other obstacles. This is easy if the person is someone you live with like a spouse, family member, or roommate. You can help be removing distractions and temptations from your home. For example, if a family member who is trying to quit smoking always smokes in a chair on the porch, remove the chair. Even if you don't live with the person who is striving for a goal, you may still be able to help. For example, if the person is a coworker, you can try to remove distractions at work. For instance, you might be able to take on an extra task to free them to focus more on their personal goals. Motivation and perseverance are crucial to achieving difficult goals. You can help boost someone's motivation by offering encouraging words. Especially if it seems that this person may be giving up or feeling uninspired, your words of encouragement can help promote goal achievement. You can saying things like: "You can do it," or "I believe in you." Or, better yet, remind her or him of the progress she/he has already made. One of the most important services you can provide to someone striving for a goal is to provide greater accountability. You can do this by checking in regularly to see if the person is sticking to the plan he/she set. You don't want to nag the person, but you do want to add some extra motivation to complete subgoals on schedule. This can be a difficult balance to strike. It's a good idea to let the person know in advance that you want to help by checking in. If the person says she/he would prefer that you don't, then don't. Likewise, if the person tells you to stop asking about it, don't force the issue. You want to be helpful, but not invasive. You can even ask if there is another way she/he would like you to help, but if not, accept this choice. If the person does want you to help her/him stay on track, make note of the deadlines he/she has set. When a deadline is drawing near, ask how things are going. If the person striving for a goal has setback, falls behind, or fails to reach a sub-goal on schedule, do what you can to help. This might mean helping brainstorm ways around a particular obstacle. It might mean helping remove that obstacle yourself. Or, it might just mean giving a pep-talk to get her or him back on track. For example, imagine someone you know wants to eat healthier. But, the person is having a hard time because he/she doesn't have time to cook at home, and ends up grabbing fast food a lot. You could invite the person over for a healthy home-cooked meal. You could also help strategize about quick, healthy options he or she could turn to instead of heading to the drive-through again. Another great way to help someone stay motivated to is to provide reinforcement for completion of subgoals. Little rewards can help the person develop positive associations with working toward the goal. You can provide positive reinforcement by adding something good to the person's life. For example, you could take the person out for a meal or buy her or him a small gift of some kind after a success. You can also provide negative reinforcement. This means removing something undesired from the person's life. You could reward an achievement by offering to take on some task the person doesn't enjoy. For example, you might mow the persons lawn or wash her/his car as a reward for success. Reinforcement doesn't have to be big to be effective. Something small like a dessert or an offer to take out the garbage can be enough to make a difference. One of the best forms of reinforcement is recognition of one's achievements. When the goal-seeker makes a major accomplishment, celebrate! Let him or her know you recognize the importance of what was achieved, and get other people involved. For example, imagine you know someone trying working to earn a PhD. One of the most difficult steps in the process is often passing qualifying examinations. If you know someone about take these exams, you could plan a party to celebrate after she or he passes. Get the person's friends involved and let her or him know that you are proud of the achievement.

summary: Promote a positive environment. Offer encouragement. Check in on progress. Address setbacks and challenges. Provide reinforcement. Celebrate achievements.

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Tell those people you trust about your schedule with the brace and about your intended goals. Talk about not only your actions but your feelings as well. It is not unusual to feel angry or scared when you first start this process. You might say, "To be honest, I'm really not happy about wearing this brace, so if you hear me getting too negative try to find a way to cheer me up." You are not alone, even if you feel like it initially. Go online and look for a network of people going through a similar experience as yourself. For example, if you are wearing a back brace due to a sports injury, you can find a blog to contribute to. If you are wearing a brace due to scoliosis, you should consider joining a Curvy Girls chapter. Before each visit write down a list of your noticeable improvements, your concerns, and any questions that you may have. Get to your most important points first and don't be afraid to make another appointment if you need more discussion time. For example, you might ask your doctor if you could see a series of x-rays showing your progress over time. You could also ask for an estimate as to when you can quit wearing your brace. If you feel weighed down emotionally and are struggling with negativity, you may want to make an appointment with a therapist. This will provide you with another space for safe conversation about your fears and hopes related to the bracing process.

summary: Ask your friends and family for advice and assistance. Connect with a support community online. Communicate openly and regularly with your doctor. See a psychologist for additional support.

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Feeling justified, angry, bitter, and resentful often stops people from forgiveness. Holding on to negative thoughts and feelings doesn't help you feel better or encourage you to let go. Consciously free yourself from these feelings by not harboring negativity toward other people. While this may not happen all at once, let go little by little. Forgiveness doesn't mean you forget what happened or pretend like they didn't hurt you. Remember that forgiveness is more for you than it is for anyone else. Write a letter to a person without the intention of giving it to them. Write down the situation and why it upset you, then write that you forgive them. Symbolically release your hurt and pain by burning the letter or tearing it up. Empathy is a way to relate to other people. Instead of focusing on yourself, you focus on what another person is thinking and feeling so that you can understand them better. Place more focus on understanding the experiences of others to build empathy. For example, imagine what it would be like to live somebody else's life - with all of their circumstances - and how that would make you feel. You'll undoubtedly meet people you disagree with or don't get along with. Instead of digging your heels in further to defend your own thoughts and opinions, hear theirs out. Listen closely and seek to understand other people. Spend less time explaining yourself and more time gaining an understanding of someone else. Your ego will tell you to defend yourself or that the other person's viewpoint is invalid or stupid. Push these thoughts aside and seek to understand the differences more. If you think that you always know best for other people, recognize that this is part of your ego. Even if you disagree with someone, don't feel the need to tell them what to do or give them advice. While it's nice to be helpful, don't be pushy. If you want to provide your opinion or advice, first ask, "Can I give you my opinion?" or, "Would you like some advice?"
summary: Forgive people who have wronged you. Empathize with others. Be open to other opinions and viewpoints. Stop trying to control other people.