How many times have you told yourself at the beginning of each year that this will be your year to get in shape and eat better? How many of those times did you actually follow through with your goals? You see, we all have good intentions to go after our goals but the reality is that change is hard and change is challenging. But it is in the most challenging moments that we evolve and may have radical breakthroughs in life. Every day we wake up, we have the option to either evolve or remain the same. So many are scared to step into a new journey because they are scared of failure and the unknown. But the more we resist change, the more we continue to hold ourselves back.
If you truly want to make changes within your life, health and the way you feel, you must get uncomfortable and release habits that are not shaping your desired life. Right now, become aware of your day-to-day habits and routines. Are they challenging you to become a stronger person? Are your habits benefiting the way your body both feels and functions? If not, it’s time to make some changes.
Here are my top five tips on how to kickstart your wellness journey in the new year:
1) Create a powerful morning routine.
Your morning routine will dictate how the remainder of your day will flow. Be sure to drink water first thing and eat a nutritious breakfast that contains protein. Also, become aware of what you are reading and listening to. These not only influence how our day begins but also our thoughts, mood and feelings.
2) Focus on adding to your diet, not taking away from it.
Diet culture has made us believe that we constantly need to be restricting ourselves and avoiding certain foods, but what if we focused more on what we can eat and added more of it to our daily diets? Think about adding more green vegetables to each meal. Having a healthy smoothie first thing in the morning or incorporating more fruits in place of sugary snacks.
3) Commit to micro goals each day.
Rather than focusing on the big picture, which can lead you to give up on your goals quickly, try setting mini goals each day that are attainable. For example, commit to 15 minutes of daily movement each day. Once you have adopted this habit, add another five minutes each week. You will begin to feel like you have accomplished something which will then lead you towards setting more mini goals for yourself. This also boosts your confidence.
4) Find a supportive wellness partner.
Try to find a friend or neighbour who is interested in getting fit and healthy as well. Together, you can hold each other accountable and stay committed to the goals you set for yourselves.
5) Remind yourself of your why.
Why is it important for you to get healthy and stay committed to your wellness? What is your motivation? Perhaps you have a very important event coming up and you need a boost of confidence, or maybe your doctor has recently told you that your health is declining. Whatever your reason is, write it down on a sticky note and glance at it each day to remind you why this is important to you. If you are not clear as to what your reason is, it will not feel important to you and therefore, you will be more likely to throw in the towel and give up.
Know that making radical changes and setting wellness goals for yourself can be intimidating and scary. The first step is to just start–start anywhere! There will never be the “right” time. Life is so short and each day is truly a gift, that is why it is called the present. It’s not about striving for perfection. It is about being consistent and following through for the most important person of all–you!
