New Survey Finds 85 Percent of Women Are Confident That They Will Achieve Their Goals in the Next Year, But Need Support to Get Them There

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- American women are ambitious and confident when it comes to pursuing their goals, yet understand the hard work it takes to achieve them. In fact, in a new survey from Marshalls, 85 percent of American women ages 22 – 54 who have goals feel confident that they will achieve them in the next year, which is no easy feat with women juggling four different goals on average. Even as master multitaskers women know when to ask for help, with 91 percent reporting to need a little boost and support to help create a path toward success.

Marshalls, one of the nation's leading off-price retailers, is providing women the support they need by joining forces with life coach and co-founder of The Handel Group, Lauren Zander and celebrity stylist, Estee Stanley to give women personalized tools and motivation to take action and tap into their inner confidence in pursuit of their goals.

"Getting what you want out of life starts with how you feel about yourself," said Gina Bollus, Marshalls company spokesperson. "And feeling like you look your best can help boost that confidence. At Marshalls, we want to help women tap into that power so they can go ahead in life – no matter what their goals or ambitions may be."

Ready, Set, Goal

Dreams don't come true without a plan – and women know it. The survey found that nearly 60 percent of women believe a clear plan of action will help push them toward achieving their goals. But for those embarking on a new feat, starting from scratch can seem like a huge hurdle. Life Coach Lauren Zander, who has helped countless clients and top executives create a personalized path towards achieving their dreams, partnered with Marshalls to develop a simple 10 step Go Ahead Action Plan to guide women towards pursuing their goals.

"Making and keeping goals – even if they start small – helps build lasting confidence. It's a cycle! When you accomplish something you thought was impossible you build pride and belief in yourself and in your ability to achieve your goals," said Zander.  "I am so excited to be working with Marshalls to inspire and propel women to dare to dream big (or small) and make those goals a reality." 

Ten Simple Steps to Go After Your Goals:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Create a Tagline: Your dream deserves a mantra, chanting your tagline will motivate you to keep moving forward!
7. 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.   
8. 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.
9. 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. 
10. 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!

Styled for Confidence

Once the plan is in place, it's time to make sure you look and feel ready to take it on. In fact, forty-two percent of women surveyed identified looking and feeling their best as something that would help propel them towards their goals. Estee Stanley, who has styled clients such as Jessica Biel and Lea Michele, agrees that a confident style can play a crucial part in getting you steps closer to achieving your goals.

"What I love about fashion is that it is one of the most powerful tools to convey who you are and what you want to the world," said Stanley. "From that pair of killer designer heels to a dress that fits like a glove, you can head to places like Marshalls to find pieces that give you the confidence to take on the goal ahead – whether it's walking that red carpet or nailing a job interview."

A few of Estee's confidence styling tips include:

• 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.

ABOUT MARSHALLS

Since opening its first store more than 40 years ago, the Marshalls name has become synonymous with off-price shopping. Shoppers can find incredible savings on designer apparel for men, women and children, footwear, accessories and home merchandise every day, helping people look and feel confident so they can go after their goals.  Marshalls is one of the nation's leading off-price family retailers with more than 960 stores spanning 48 states and Puerto Rico.

For style tips, alerts and more, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/marshalls or on Twitter at @marshalls, and check out #fabfound to see Marshalls finds that are making shoppers look and feel more confident.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

The Marshalls Go Ahead Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 500 nationally representative U.S. women ages 22-54, between March 20^th and March 27^th, 2015, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. women ages 22-54. The margin of error is +/- 4.4 percentage points.

CONTACT: 
Eddie Moye
Edelman
[email protected]  

Breanna Suden
Edelman
Office: (212) 642-7733
[email protected]

For more fashion news and images, visit our newsroom at media.marshallsnewsroom.com.

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SOURCE Marshalls