The New Year is a great opportunity to hit the “Reset” button and get motivated to reach your goals. It signals a fresh start with new beginnings. It’s also a popular time to revisit priorities and decide which ones are the most important.
What are some of your priorities for the New Year? Are any of them focused on your health and well-being? Weight-loss is at the top of many “New Year Resolutions,” but remember that health encompasses so much more than what’s on the scale.
Good health in all its aspects can trickle down to success with weight-loss. Instead of focusing too much on the scale, make sure you’re taking complete care of your mind and body.
Good Health is a Long-term (Lifetime) Goal
Health is something we navigate through all stages of our lives. As we age and grow, many natural processes affect how we function. The body has to be taken care of, especially as it ages and changes along with us.
That’s why nutrition, fitness and total health are always important. We should pay attention to them year-round, but this often takes practice. Whenever you feel burnout or frustration, consider these tips:
How to Reach Your 2020 Goals:
Think about the Present
It’s tough to make decisions about the future if you don’t have a handle on your present. Is there anything about your health in its current stage that you are struggling with or want to change? Write down what you want to change about your ‘now.’
Define and Refine Your Goals
Most of us start the year with good intentions, vowing that we want change. What is it you’re changing? You might have a general idea but not a concrete one. Think about the details that surround your goals. If weight-loss is one of them, here are some example smaller goals that may help you:
- Squeeze-in regular exercise before/after work and on the weekends
- Improve your ability to meal plan and prepare quick, healthy dishes
- Sign-up and train for a local fitness event like a 5K or half-marathon
Develop a Plan and Strategy
Carefully build a plan that will get you to your milestones. Do you want to increase your activity level? Decide on a time of day to exercise that best fits your schedule. Do you want to clean-up your nighttime food habits? Clean out your fridge of all your holiday “junk food” and set a kitchen curfew about an hour after dinner, for example.
Share Your Plan with Others
Find someone to hold you accountable and build a small support system with them. Support can make a huge difference in whether or not you reach your goals. Reap the benefits of encouragement, motivation, advice and someone to spend time with who also understands your challenges. For tips on letting others into your health journey, CLICK HERE.
Seek Consistent Motivation
Do you often feel your energy drain? It’s time to re-examine your goals and find new ways to challenge yourself. Create a new workout playlist, fill your refrigerator with fresh foods and write down your daily, weekly and monthly goals. Take mini vacations on the weekends when you have time, invest in your hobbies and give yourself a mental break. Sometimes, all it takes is stepping back to put your personal goals to put things back into perspective. As you make progress, find healthy ways to reward yourself.
