Q: Take time out for thorough self-evaluation. To change yourself completely, complete the Best Possible Self exercise. This exercise has been shown to increase positive emotions, boost optimism, help with the development of coping skills, and give you something to look forward to in your future. The time frame can be 6 months, 12 months, or 5 years from now. Close your eyes and imagine that, at this time, you are expressing your best possible self in all its glory. What have you accomplished? What skills do you have? These goals and triumphs should be both positive and realistic. Decide what characteristics you may need to build to attain this future self. For example, your future self may be very compassionate, innovative, and organized. These skills may be demonstrated in a business venture. Which of these skills will you need to further develop to get there? Another aspect of self-evaluation is getting the opinions of others. Keep in mind, these are just opinions. So, don't respond negatively if you don't get raving reviews. You can choose which information you want to consider in your change process. Reach out to a few people whose feedback you respect. Ask them about your performance in school or work. See if they can point out a few areas where you are doing well and other areas where you need improvement. Review the information gleaned from the Best Possible Self and from feedback. Based on what attributes you would like to have in the future, what do you have and what are you lacking? Make a list detailing the strengths and values you already possess, and then create a similar list of the attributes that you must cultivate to be the person you desire. Progress is rarely a straight-line journey. Instead, it is filled with loops, shortcuts, wrong turns, periods of wandering, and occasional stagnancy. You need to realize that change won't happen overnight. Understanding the stages of change can help you recognize that even a little progress is progress after all. Pre contemplation. In this stage, you are not quite ready to accept that you need to change (i.e. in denial). You may defend your bad habits when people point them out. Contemplation. Here, you become more aware of the negative consequences of your bad habits. You begin to think about it more often, yet you may still be skeptical about changing. Preparation/Determination. This stage is defined by a greater awareness of the problem and commitment to change. You may conduct research or seek out professional help to assist you with the change. Action/Willpower. In this stage of change, you lean heavily on your own willpower. You take active steps to change using various methods. This stage can last about 6 months, but can be as short as a few hours. Maintenance. This step involves actively taking measures to avoid returning to your old ways. You reevaluate your life and make adjustments to align with your new habits and/or values. You make a plan to avoid relapse. Relapse. You return to old, undesirable behaviors. This stage may be transient as you move through the other stages. The ultimate hope is that you eventually lose the desire to partake in old, bad habits.
A: Clarify your desires. Choose a time in the future. Write down the character strengths that you see in your future self. Get feedback. Take an inventory. Be patient.

Q: If you want to begin training your cat to stand, you'll first need to get your cat to pay attention to you. Use a treat to get your cat to focus. Then, you can begin training your cat to stand. Hold a treat in front of your cat's nose. This will allow him to smell the treat, grabbing his attention. When your cat begins to sniff the treat, pull it up. Your cat will end up looking at you, giving you his attention. Find ways to encourage your cat to stand. Then, say a command, like "Stand up," and reward the behavior. You can keep pulling the treat up higher. If you need to, place the treat near the cat's nose again to get him more interested. He may follow the treat as you pull it away a second time. As soon as he stands up, say a command like, "Stand!" and give him the treat as a reward. You can also use toys. Dangly toys, string toys, or toy mice can be held above your cat's head. As soon as he stands up to reach the toy, say the command and offer the reward. You want your cat to understand that you want him to stand up on cue. Pay attention to your cat during day-to-day activities. Cats may occasionally stand up on their hind legs if they're curious about something or trying to get your attention. Try to reward this behavior as it naturally occurs to help establish a connection between the desired behavior, a command, and a reward. If you see your cat standing up, say a command. You can say something like, "Stand up!" or "Beg." Then, reward the behavior using your chosen method. At first, you can reward your cat for simply engaging in behaviors that are close to the desired behavior. For example, if your cat raises a paw, reward him. As time goes on, withhold treats until your cat completes the command. Do not give your cat a treat, praise, or press the clicker until he's standing with both paws in the air. This will help establish how you want your cat to behave and teach him to stand up on cue.
A: Get your cat's attention. Encourage standing. Reward the behavior when it occurs naturally. Be stricter about rewards over time.

Q: Give your dog the treat as soon as you see the positive behavior. It's helpful to use a clicker to train your dog. That way, you can click the clicker when your dog behaves correctly, then give it a treat. This gives you a little bit of time to get the treat ready, while still reinforcing the good behavior you want to see from your dog. Timing is very important when it comes to training your dog. It's important to click the clicker or give your dog its treat immediately after the good behavior. Make sure the treat is something your dog loves. The most common reward is a treat. Try boiled chicken, string cheese, or chicken hot dogs. You could try a bone or dog treat. You want to reward the dog when it responds to your command and behaves. If the dog ignores or rejects your command, no treat. If treats are the preferred item, keep them handy so that you can practice throughout the day, such as anytime you get up for a drink/snack or bathroom break. You could toss the treat on the ground so the dog has to get up. Then, wait again until the dog chooses to sit, without any encouragement from you. When the dog does, say, "Yes!" in a happy tone, and deliver a super yummy treat. Repeat this 5 or 6 times. Sometimes a dog is not food driven, so consider whether they are into a ball or a tug toy. Other dogs just love attention. You have to figure out what makes your dog happiest, and then use that as their reward. Praise is simply a happy, excited voice and gentle touching. This is the cheapest and easiest reward to offer. You could also use a favorite toy as a reward. Touch is another great way to reward a dog. Some dogs respond to being petted or their tummies being rubbed. A brisk 10-minute walk can also be a reward if you are able. Be very consistent and repetitive. A solid training program takes a minimum of two years of consistent and organized training. You will get as much out of your dog as you put into them. If we say our dogs are "stubborn," we are basically making excuses for not learning how to teach our dogs to understand us. Ensure everyone around the dog has the same rules and expectations. Everyone in the household should use the same commands for tricks and set out the same limitations. Don't feel sorry for the dog and violate your own rules at times. The dog will learn the wrong lesson.
A:
Reward the dog with a highly desirable treat when it behaves. Try using other positive reinforcements instead of treats. Repeat training exercises and commands several times in a day.