If you know me, you know that I’m not a great supporter of “New Year’s Resolutions.”  What I do support is goals and paradigm shift in your life.  How is that different?  A Resolution so many times is an off the cuff, quick “brain” decision to have something different in your life.  Something like:

I’m going to lose weight this year!

I’m going to be more organized!

I’m going to … you fill in the blank

We’ve made the decision on New Year’s Eve thinking we are going to wake up the next morning and almost be in that place.  Quick decision and quick results.  That’s what we think on some level.  As the days go on, our resolution becomes hard.  It’s getting old.  It’s getting less and less desirable.  We then give up.

But making a paradigm shift or setting a goal is different.  You set a goal and create a strategy to make that goal happen.  The end result of that goal can be months down the road, and you’ve given yourself baby steps along the way (if that’s all you can do).  You aren’t expecting the see the end results happen like magic.  You know it’s going to take some hard work and dedication.  But because you’ve broken it down in steps, you essentially have small victories throughout the process.

So, let me get back to my initial intention.  Did you make a resolution for your health this 2020?  Well if you have, let’s change it to a goal and let’s break it down into baby steps so you can begin to see results along the way.

Here are some baby steps to follow that could help you begin your “goal” of a healthier 2020!

1. Write your goal down and be specific. Do you want to lose weight?  Well define exactly how much that is.  For example, “I want to lose 15 pounds by …”
2. Look at your Primary Foods and see what is out of balance. Primary foods are your physical activity, your spirituality, your career and your relationships.
3. I recommend my clients complete a Wheel of Life. This is a wheel that encompasses many aspects of life.  You plot your current place on the wheel, connect dots and see where you are out of balance.  (If you would like one, send me an email to [email protected] and let me know.)
4. Then focus on those out of balance areas and implement a plan for change.
5. Keep a journal of what you eat for at least 7 days. Eat like normal.  Don’t make any changes.
6. After 7 days (or however long you decide to keep the journal), review what you’ve eaten and see what could be causing you to gain weight.
7. One by one start adding in as opposed to taking away. So, let’s say you are drinking soda.  Well instead of saying “I’m cutting soda out of my life,” you can say “I am going to add one glass of water in my day for the next 3 – 5 days.  Then, I’ll add two and so on until you’ve replaced your diet of soda with water.”
8. Consider adding some physical activity into your week. If you have a job that sits at a desk all day, this is highly recommended for you.  I’m not saying you have to start going to a gym.  But perhaps taking a walk 2 – 3 times a week is something that would interest in.
9. After you’ve conquered your first bad choice food item, look to the second and keep moving forward until you trained your body to crave good, wholesome foods.
10. Never and I mean never think you can go into your local Gas Station store and eat healthy. Replacing processed foods should be one of your goals if that is something that is part of your daily diet.

You might be saying this could take forever.  Not forever but it won’t happen overnight for sure and you don’t want it to happen overnight.  You want to make lasting changes in your body and that does not happen quickly.  You didn’t get to where you are overnight.  Changes won’t happen over night either.  Slow and steady will keep the weight off.

Know that our bodies were designed to heal itself.  By giving it proper nourishment, it can have the means to bring it back to health and to the desired weight you have.

If taking these steps seems too hard or too much to bare.  Consider hiring a Health Coach.  As a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, I am trained to walk with you to help you reach your desired goal.  With the gift of encouragement, I will be cheering you on each step of the way.

Best wishes, Happy New Year and Happy Health!

Your Health, Wellness and Organizational Coach … believing in you!