Women Making Plans

American women are strong, confident — and hard at work building a bright future for themselves and their families. But they sometimes need a little backup to make their dreams come true.

Retailer Marshalls said it is providing some of that backup, in the form of Life Coach Lauren Zander and Celebrity Stylist Estee Stanley.

The company enlisted these two after conducting a survey and finding that, while 85%of American women ages 22 – 54 who have goals feel confident that they will achieve them in the next year, 91% said they need a little support to help create a path toward success.

Marshalls teamed with life coach Zander, and came up with these Ten Simple Steps to Go After Your Goals:

Dare to dream: The first step to achieving goals is identifying them. There are two types of goals – ones that enhance what you are already doing and ones that challenge you to really create change in your life.
Put It In Writing: Write that goal down…in pen! Be specific about what you want to achieve and how you’re going to achieve it.
Break It Down: Break your goal up into smaller, more realistic steps. It typically takes 21 days to make something a habit, so set deadlines to make your dream a reality.
Exorcise the Excuses!: Think about the excuses you make to yourself that may get in the way. Write them down and call yourself out whenever you start to go to the dark side.
Put Aside Your Ego: When you try something new, you can’t expect to be great at it. Don’t let mistakes stop you – confidence comes with practice.
Create a Tagline: Your dream deserves a mantra, chanting your tagline will motivate you to keep moving forward!
Socialize Your Status: Share your dream with the (social) world! There’s no better way to be held accountable than by making a promise to others in your network.
Buddy Up: Find a buddy who will support you along the way. Push comes from a promise and a promise made to someone else is harder to break.
Accessorize It: Make sure you have the tools to give you the confidence going in. Whether it’s new fitness gear to kick start your weight loss plan or a revamped power wardrobe to propel you towards that promotion, head to Marshalls to find the items you need to look and feel your best.
Face the Music: Implement self-imposed consequences. If you don’t go to the gym three days a week, no wine on Fridays. That’ll get you to the gym on time!

With goals set and a plan in place, it’s time to look the part. That’s where Estee Stanley comes in. Marshall’s prevailed upon the stylist to create this list of confidence styling tips:

* Dress for yourself and your body type, not the latest trend. When you feel good about what you are wearing, others take notice. Purchase pieces that are timeless and inject color and fun with accessories that speak to your personality.

* Dress how you want to be perceived and live up to that part. If you’re starting a new job, make sure your wardrobe inspires you to take it on with confidence.

* Sometimes it’s not necessarily what you wear, it is how you wear it. You could be wearing a stunning designer dress, but if you are fidgeting or constantly adjusting it, it’s going to impact the whole look. Go for piece that makes your look effortless.

Of course, Marshalls would like your next move to be a shopping spree at, er, Marshalls. There’s nothing wrong with that, given that the retailer is focused on offering style at value prices. But wherever you go to find your confident new look, make sure it can keep up with your growing confidence.