Life revolves around goals, which can be small, medium, or large. Many of the things that we do (or do not do) are based on habitual goals that we have developed. Change is not necessary; it is inevitable! This means setting new goals or managing our current goals. However, we all know that having a goal does not mean that we will necessarily achieve it successfully. Pursuing goals is a matter of costs and benefits. Expecting a lot of stress and hassle from pursuing a goal might cause us to procrastinate. An assessment of the costs of goal-setting and how to improve goal-pursuits can increase our chances of achieving our goals. This is called "motivational restructuring." It does not matter how old we are or what we want to achieve; we can always learn a lot about our motivational structure and how we can improve it.

Everything is about habits, both good habits and bad habits. As a psychologist trained in motivational and cognitive psychology and having more than two decades of experience working with people who needed to change their lifestyle, I will know where you are with your habits and what you need to do to change your unwanted habits. It is not all about having the will-power to change; there is much to know about your brain and how it functions. That is one reason why "old habits die hard!" To better understand this point, think of your favorite food or dessert. Now, imagine that I name it for you. Or imagine seeing a picture of it. Naturally, your mouth will begin to water, no matter how hard you try for it not to! Is this because you do not have enough willpower? Of course not! Experts with sufficient knowledge and training about brain processes and advances in cognitive science can help you find effective ways to control your unwanted habits. Used together, Motivational Restructuring (see above) and Cognitive Bias Modification techniques can help you develop alternative, good habits, including eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, managing your anger, maintaining control, etc.—all leading to a happier lifestyle.

"Is it me or others?!" This is a very important, relevant, and wise question. But how can we answer that? There are many books and other resources written about relationships and self-improvement. But how many of these are based on scientific research? Self-knowledge starts by knowing our fundamental psychological needs and motives. These are not always evident to us, and they are not the same for all people. There are, however, ways to identify fundamental needs and motives in scientific, reliable ways.

The next question is whether my daily goals are in tune with my fundamental needs and motives of which I am not aware. If they are not, I might not be at peace with myself and the world around me. Our relationships professional coaching provides an evidence-based method for identifying your fundamental needs and motives and how they are related to your current goals. It helps you "tune" your goals and actions to experience a higher level of consistency and congruence. This is important for achieving gratification and contentment.

Workshops are available for small (< 30) to large (> 30) corporations. They include: (a) Motivational Analysis and Empowerment Workshop; (b) Enhanced Relationships Workshop; (c) Executive Cognitive Skills (for Parenting, Educational Settings, or a Business); and Academic Research (from research proposals to publications). The workshops cover knowledge expansion and skill development, and they vary in terms of the number of sessions and the cost. Please contact me for more information.

There are 11 executive skills that we all need in order to achieve our goals effectively. They include time-management, planning, emotion regulation, problem solving, and even creativity. Let's consider how "skills" are different from "knowledge" and what a difference having skills can make in our lives. You participate in a swimming class; you read about swimming techniques; and you take an exam and receive an A+. Fine! Could you now prevent yourself from drowning at sea? Maybe not, if you have not acquired a skill for swimming!

To be fully capable of success in our lives, we need to acquire a set of executive skills, not just information about how to do something. Often the feeling of depression or anger results from people's frustrations with themselves because they lack the skills to achieve the things that are important to them.