3 Tips For Reaching Wellness Goals In 2020,
Even If You’ve Already Forgotten Your Resolutions
by Carollyn Mushro
If you’ve already forgotten about your New Year’s Resolutions, studies show you’re not alone. Approximately 80% of people who make resolutions have dropped them by February.
However, the great news is that you don’t have to wait for the calendar to flip to have a compelling reason to start a new healthy habit. TODAY can be your “New Year’s Day” to step into your best YOU!
Surprisingly, it’s not the goals themselves that most people can’t achieve. It’s how they go about incorporating these new practices into their daily lives. So, let’s consider a few ideas to make your new habits stick!
1. Create a magnetic vision of what your goal looks and FEELS like.
We are all about 'the feelings' here because emotions drive our behavior. In order to paint a vision for what you want your ideal, healthy self to feel like, you will want to journal a bit (or at least write down some thoughts in the notes section of your phone!)
How do I want to feel…
- When showing a home?
- When I’m at the closing table?
- When I wear that favorite dress?
- When I go on the beach vacation?
- When I (insert any other career goal or life event you have on the horizon)?
The more specific you can get with this imagery, the more magnetic and compelling your vision will feel to you. Do you want to feel energized? Confident? Feminine? Powerful? Narrow it down until it really feels perfect!
A bland goal like “Lose 10 lbs” is not only daunting but also not at all fun! After you script your customized vision, place reminders of it where you will see it DAILY. On the bathroom mirror, in your car, on your phone lock screen…you get the idea!
2. Break down your goal into baby steps. Running a marathon straight off the couch is daunting!
For example, if a marathon is your goal, begin with walking just one mile at a fast pace. Then re-evaluate…if you feel great, keep going! Increase your goal incrementally each time you lace up those shoes.
Avoiding soda or sugary snacks is easier if you can do it for one hour at a time. Drink a full glass of water, (a craving could mean that you’re just thirsty!), and if the craving pops up again after the time has passed…do it for another hour. Soon, you will find you may forget about it entirely if you work in small chunks of time as opposed to stating, “I can’t ever have a soda again.” You can give up anything for just an hour!
3. Outsmart your old self— know your common pitfalls and plan to avoid them.
If you have ever fallen victim to convenience foods while traveling, try packing healthy, filling snacks ahead of time. Some great options include apples with peanut or almond butter, organic jerky snacks, or baby carrots.
If waking up in time to work out tends to be a challenge, set out your workout gear next to your bed—or even sleep in it so you’re ready to hop to it when that alarm goes off!
And perhaps most importantly, carve out opportunities to indulge—this takes the pressure off to be perfect 100% of the time. If you have a fun night out with friends planned, for example, you can still look forward to this night by strategically planning meals that are more sensible for the days surrounding the event. When it is an occasional treat, you will feel rewarded for your hard work, plus, you won’t feel like you’re missing out!
If you can create a powerful vision for how you want to feel on the other side of this journey, while taking small incremental steps to get there…you will be feeling great in no time! Once you make these practices engrained habits in your life, maintaining your wellness lifestyle will feel like a seamless part of your everyday routine.
About the Contributor
Carollyn is a wellness enthusiast living in the Chicago burbs with her husband and two children.
She loves inspiring families to find their own healthy journey through holistic modalities.
She loves kombucha, travel, and questioning the status quo.
You can find her on IG: @carollyn.mushro
www.oilschangelives.com
