Setting goals is important. But how can you stay motivated to reach your goals when stress and frustration block your path?
Here's the scoop from psychologist, life coach, and advisor to the Pentagon, Dr. Jill Ammon-Wexler: First, know this: Moving toward your goals is a lot like driving a car. If one foot's on the gas, and one foot's on the brakes, you won't be going anywhere. So, here's how to get out of your own way, and set your goals on cruise control:

• Right off the bat, identify one thing you can do right now   no matter how small it is. For example, if you're trying to control your schedule, look at your to-do list. It's probably too long. Instead, write up a "short list" of 5 things you know you can accomplish today.
• Then, pick one thing from your short list and do it. And make it easy on yourself: Choose something you think you can start and complete right now.
• Third, pick another little thing you can do right now   and do that one, too. And before you know it, your "short to-do" list will be finished.

Just don't put yourself under pressure. Even a tiny step forward is still a step forward. Sometimes when you look at the whole picture it can be overwhelming and that's why a lot of people procrastinate and never get started on reaching their goals. So try to isolate sections of your goal   one by one. If the goal is to go back to school   break it down. The first step may be to pinpoint what you want to study. Then you can find which schools specialize in that. And so on. Think of it this way: you don't eat a chicken by sticking the whole thing in your mouth. You do it by eating one tiny bite at a time.