As this week is Build a Better Image Week, it’s a perfect time to start setting some personal goals in our Living To-Do Lists that fit this concept. Whether you interpret the week as a time to work on how you see yourself, how you look to potential employees, or simply digging deeper into yourself to find out who you really are, you can use it to your advantage in building your list.

Perhaps you’ve had a rough year with your job or school, and you’re questioning your previous goals in life. That’s reassuringly common, and the question, as Julia Cameron always says, is not, “Why me?” but “What’s next?”

So what’s next for you? Set some goals on paper this week and take the next step. Here are some ideas.

If your goal is to get a better job, write that as your item. Maybe you’ve got something specific in mind—“Be a computer programmer,” or, “Get my teaching degree.” Now identify several steps you can take to do just that. Do you need a computer class? Certification? Maybe you just need to update your old resume. Jot down these steps as goals, and accomplish one of them as soon as you can.

What about your own self-image? Maybe you’ve gained some weight, or lost some confidence because of some situation or another. Perhaps “the one” has turned you down so many times—or sent you spinning in circles—that you’re thinking that there simply isn’t anyone for you.

Before you start tackling the next self-help book, maybe you could write down ten quick goals that are just for you. Make a date with yourself—treat yourself to a healthy dinner by candlelight, or a movie. Get your nails done, put a model together, read a book—just do something that you know you will enjoy, and savor it just as you are.

You may just need to get out of a funk—who doesn’t now and again? But if you do need to really get past a bad body image you have going, be sure to get help. Enlist positive, supportive friends and family members, as well as a doctor. List a few things you’d like to change—maybe you just want to stop cringing when you walk past the mirror! You might want to look up some positive body image affirmations on the web, talk to your physician about realistic goals for yourself, and simply start practicing a little self-care. Set these as your goals—try not talking badly to yourself for ten days, or saying something nice to yourself for two whole weeks. 

What self-image concept do you think you need to work on? If you're comfortable, feel free to share your goals below.