The best-kept secret to setting fast and successful workout goals is to love yourself before you begin. Try this tip: In the privacy of your own home, stand buck naked in front of a mirror. Study yourself from head to toe. Rather than pick apart negative characteristics, embrace the positive: soft skin, broad shoulders, long legs, whatever you like about you.

Each of us is born with a body type. There are three basic ones: endomorph (you've probably been called curvy, round, voluptuous, or shapely), ectomorph (long, tall, and lean), and mesomorph (athletic build). You probably fit primarily into one of these, but have traits from others as well. Not one type is better than the other. You can play up your strong features and enhance the areas that you want to improve. Understanding this concept can help you become your personal best.