Over the course of a year, much can change in terms of our motivations, priorities and time for commitments. Sometimes we are taken off course by unforeseen circumstances, but others we see coming from miles away, or are even a regular occurrence. For 2013, focus on what you can control and plan ahead to prevent or manage those sidetrack moments.
1. Target dates. Choose your birthday, a vacation, a special event, a fitness challenge… something with a definitive date that you can use to prioritize short term goals and boost motivation to reach that stepping stone. Choose more than one in a year.
2. Personal history. Reflect on your past for a bit. What has propelled your success with weight loss before? An exercise partner? Journaling your food? A friendly competition within corporate wellness program ? What has derailed your commitments in the past? A seasonal change in the weather? “Depriving” yourself of a specific food? Brainstorm what you can do differently this year and set some ground rules.
3. Pick one. Just pick one change to get yourself started. Whether it’s 20 crunches every morning when you wake up, eliminating fried food or getting on that scale once per week… starting something will give you a better chance of doing more and creating change than doing nothing.
4. Tell a friend. Share your aspirations with someone else. Even if unspoken, the accountability of a shared goal is much stronger than an unsaid commitment.
5. A bias for action, a sense of urgency. Don’t wait until tomorrow. Life is crazy… but it never truly gets “uncrazy”. Take your crazy life and live it healthy and happy!
Excellent post, Jessica Lynn. The H3@Home coaches were discussing this very topic today!
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