Even the most motivated of us - you, me, Tony Robbins - can feel unmotivated at times. In fact, sometimes we get into such a slump that even thinking about making positive changes seems too difficult. But it’s not hopeless: with some small steps, you can get started down the road to positive change.

1. One Goal: You can’t maintain energy and focus (the two most important things in accomplishing a goal) if you are trying to do two or more goals at once. You have to choose one goal, for now, and focus on it completely.

2. Find inspiration: For me, comes from others who have achieved what I want to achieve, or who are currently doing it. I read other blogs, books, magazines. I Google my goal, and read success stories.

3. Get excited: If you want to break out of a slump, get excited about your goal. I’ve learned that by talking to my partner, and others, reading as much as possible, and “visualizing” the benefits of success in my head; I get excited!

4. Build anticipation: If you want to achieve a goal, don’t start right away. Set a date in the future and mark it on the calendar. Get excited about that date, and in the meantime, start writing out a plan. By delaying your start, you build anticipation and increase your focus and energy.

5. Post your goal: Print out your goal in big words. Make your goal just a few words long, like a mantra (”Exercise 15 mins. Daily”), and post it up on your wall or refrigerator. A picture of your goal (like a model with sexy abs) also helps.

6. Commit publicly: Now, you don’t have to commit to your goal in your daily newspaper. You can do it with friends and family and co-workers, and you can do it on your blog if you have one. None of us likes to look bad in front of others.

7. Think about it daily: If you think about your goal every day, it is much more likely to become true. Put that little bit of time in. Posting the goal on your wall or computer desktop (as mentioned above) helps a lot. Sending yourself daily reminders also helps. And if you can commit to doing one small thing to further your goal every day, your goal will almost certainly come true.

8. Get support: It’s hard to accomplish something alone. When I decided to run my marathon, I had the help of friends and family, and a great running community. When I decided to quit smoking, I joined an online forum and that helped tremendously. Find your support network, either in the real world, online, or both.

9. Realize that there’s an ebb and flow: Motivation is not a constant thing that is always there for you. It comes and goes, and comes and goes again, like the tide. But realize that while it may go away, it doesn’t do so permanently. It will come back. Just stick it out.

10. Stick with it: Whatever you do, don’t give up. Even if you aren’t feeling any motivation today, or this week, don’t give up. Think of your goal as a long journey, and your slump is just a little bump in the road. You can’t give up with every little bump. Stay with it for the long term, ride out the ebbs and surf on the flows, and you’ll get there.

11. Start small: Really small. If you want to exercise, for example, you may be thinking that you have to do these intense workouts 5 days a week. Instead, just do 2 minutes of exercise. I know, that sounds wimpy. But it works. Commit to 2 minutes of exercise for one week. It’s so easy, you can’t fail. In a month, you’ll be doing 15-20.

12. Build on small successes: You can’t fail if you start with something ridiculously easy. You’ll feel successful, and good about yourself. Take that feeling and build on it. With each step (each step should last about a week), you’ll feel even more successful. In a couple of months your tiny steps will add up to a lot of progress and a lot of success.

13. Read about it daily: When I lose motivation, I read a book or blog about my goal. It inspires and reinvigorates me. Reading helps motivate and focus you on whatever you’re reading about. So read about your goal every day, if you can, especially when you’re not feeling motivated.

14. Call for help when your motivation ebbs: Having trouble? Ask for help. Get a partner to join you. Call your mom. It doesn’t matter who, just tell them your problems, and talking about it will help you overcome your slump.

15. Think about the benefits, not the difficulties: Instead of thinking about how hard something is, think about what you will get out of it. For example, instead of thinking about how tiring exercise can be, focus on how good you’ll feel when you’re done, and how you’ll be healthier and slimmer over the long run.

16. Squash negative thoughts; replace them with positive ones. Start monitoring your thoughts. Recognize negative self-talk. Spend a few days becoming aware of every negative thought. Then, after a few days, try squashing those negative thoughts and replacing them with a corresponding positive thought. Squash, “This is too hard!” and replace it with, “I can do this! It sounds corny, but it works. Really!

Here's a carb you shouldn't have any qualms about eating, because it's loaded with a stroke-stopping ingredient: potatoes!

Whether you favor fingerling, red, or russets, spuds are loaded with potassium. And in a recent study, men and women who consumed the most potassium had a twenty percent lower risk of suffering a stroke compared with those who consumed the least amount of the mineral.

The Makings of a Mineral
The reason potassium has such health charms? Turns out the mineral helps lower blood pressure, an important risk factor for stroke. Potassium somehow softens the effect that sodium has on blood pressure, helping to keep it under wraps. And potassium may also hamper hardening of the arteries and the formation of clots -- more bad things that can set the stage for strokes. (Potassium is just one part of good blood pressure).

Top Tater
How much extra potassium did the top consumers get in the study? If you had a glass of orange juice for breakfast, a quarter cup of raisins for a snack, and a baked potato for dinner (with the skin on), you'd get an additional 1,600 milligrams of potassium -- an amount that would nudge you into the high-potassium group.

Not getting your fill of this blood-pressure-friendly nutrient? Don't take a supplement; it's safest to get your potassium from food.