By Kimberly Wagler
Grab a pencil and answer these questions. Hopefully your answers will enable you make a health resolution you can keep for the rest of your life.
- Know your WHY! Possibly the most important thing you can do for yourself is to truly understand why you want to achieve a healthy life. Are you afraid? Afraid of losing something important to you, not being there for your family, being unable to play your favorite sport anymore, or even fearful of losing your job because you can’t keep up with the workload? List items you are afraid of.
Are you excited about the possibility of gaining new things? Excited about new relationships, hobbies, time, energy, longer life, confidence, or to be a role-model for your family? List items you are excited about.
List some reasons why you want a healthy lifestyle.
- Change your PERSPECTIVE! How many times have you wished you were a strong, healthy role-model for your family but view yourself as a failure with no self-control when it comes to food and no motivation to work out? List 3 words that you want people to use to describe you.
Every morning when you wake up repeat this sentence, “I accept myself unconditionally right now. I am (insert your 3 descriptive words).” This will be tough and uncomfortable at first but you will find you will start to treat yourself like the person you are describing.
- Setting yourself up for success first begins by knowing what success looks and feels like. Smart GOAL SETTING is the best way to create a detailed plan of action. Answer the following questions, the more detailed you are the better.
How do you want to feel at the end of 2015? We’ve all done it, especially during the summer months and swimsuit season; how often do we focus on how we look instead of how we feel?
Determine your top goal for the next 365 days. This goal must be specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic.
Determine the two or three most necessary steps you need to take to reach this goal. If you would like to lose 50 pounds, you need to establish specific action steps like a complete workout routine, having access to the appropriate foods and/or getting enough sleep. These must be changes that you can physically achieve. Avoid saying things such as, I am only going to eat when I am hungry or I will work out for 2 hours every day, as these rarely work due to not being measurable or attainable.
Now break your goals into monthly goals and list each month individually. If you would like to apply for a new job or position what do you need to do each month to prepare yourself for that opportunity?
If you are really ready to make a change, break those monthly goals into weekly action steps. What do you need to do each week to make your monthly goals a reality? Create a checklist with these weekly goals and put it into your planner/phone/computer.
Begin each morning by reviewing your goal and what steps you need to take that day to accomplish your 2015 goal. This may take a little time at the beginning of each month to set up but if you complete all the steps, you will spend 2-5 minutes each day reviewing and feeling extremely motivated to follow through with your goals. I can’t wait to hear about all the success you are going to have. Please make sure to let us know if you are having difficulty with your goal planning and we will be happy to help.
- We tend to have specific rules we live by that help us stay focused, on task, and successful in relationships, work, and life but have you ever set your “HEALTH RULES?” They are just as important because without them you are setting yourself up to be that person who loses and gains the same 10-30 or more pounds. My definition of a health rule is the following…
“Health Rule”: (verb) this is a specific action you will take (or not take) to improve or maintain your current level of wellbeing.
One of my health rules is PLANNING. One of the toughest things for me as a mother of two young children is keeping healthy food on hand. To conquer that challenge, I have set my grocery store days in my schedule. I also make sure I cook plenty for dinner so I have a healthy leftover for work the next day. Identify your obstacle, plan out how you are going to beat it, and then DO IT!
List several health rules you are going to live by.
I would love to say this is going to be easy and a “piece of cake” but oftentimes the things that are the most rewarding take dedication and determination. I challenge you to find your WHY because it will give you the commitment you need to live the life you’ve always dreamed about.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or need help with any of these steps. My WHY is to educate, motivate, and equip others to lead a healthy lifestyle and I would love to help you achieve your healthiest you. You can email your questions or comments to me at kwagler@impulsetraining.com.
New Year Resolutions
