To really get the benefits of health and wellness while juggling a family, career, social activities, and continuing education requires daily movement, proper nutrition, and a positive attitude. It must fit into your schedule and become a lifestyle. It can't be a chore or a time-sensitive goal you reach only to wonder what’s next.
Remember the adage that if you want to get something done, give it to a busy person? It's true! That person has mastered the art of busyness. Busyness necessitates planning, prioritizing, and persevering. When it comes to your health, prevention trumps cure any day!
Baby steps first. Build success after success, and before you know it you'll achieve fitness success. Begin by incorporating 10 minute breathing exercises three times a week. Once you see the benefits, try walking twice a week. You'll feel better and will start waking up earlier because you WANT to, so try lifting weights twice a week. Before long, you will be fit and lookin’ fab!
To maintain momentum, your New Year’s resolution needs to be to change your PROCESS, not your outcome. Your resolution is to introduce simple positive behaviors as mentioned above, but your 'resolution' is to make them a habit. You MUST be patient and determined! Sell yourself on the idea that changes really are possible. You will need six weeks to start the habit pattern, and months to really ingrain it.
Reward yourself for outcomes, but really dig into patting yourself on the back for sustaining your 'new you' program. Lifetimes are made of years, months, weeks, days, hours and minutes of habits. Good life = good habits!
And what about the power of teamwork? You can almost guarantee success with positive support from like-minded friends, accountability from a coach, or an ever-supporting spouse willing to offer a kick in the backside when you feel you are losing the plot. They are your think tank to sift ideas, outcomes, next steps, and, most of all, keep you inspired! And having your spouse on board will take it to another level that can last a lifetime! For us, it’s been 37 years of fitness goals together…and we're still counting!
