Happy New Year! The New Year often begins with good intentions which can quickly fall by the wayside if we don't create a personalized plan and stay goal oriented. No matter what your resolutions are, start your 2013 off right with a few of these suggestions for goal setting and success.
- Make success attainable with small easy-to-achieve steps that gradually lead to a bigger goal.
For example: add in an extra 10 min of exercise each day, drink one extra glass of water a day, practice deep breathing daily, add in an extra serving of fruit or vegetables to your daily nutrition plan. Small steps can add up to big changes.
- Be specific and “behavior focused”: write down the behavior or action that you want to follow and how many times you want to do it. Keeping track of your progress by journaling your activities helps hold you accountable and measures your success by evidence of your actions.
Example: walk one mile per day, eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, drink 8 glasses of water per day, or meditate for 15 min, per day.
- Keep a positive outlook by practicing positivity. Spread the “feel good” vibes by telling someone they are awesome, a good friend, supportive, funny, sexy, or gorgeous, etc. Your positivity will reflect back on you from others. Could you make your day by “making” someone else’s day? See what happens.
- What's your reward? Be specific...something special just for you! Of course better health is always the true reward, but our behaviors can be driven by perks that we set in place when a goal is reached. How about a pedicure, massage, or new workout gear?
Don't get discouraged if things don't fall into place right away. Remember, “Slow and steady wins the race!” This is true for a lifestyle transformation that is sustainable. Creating healthy habits that make sense and behaviors that you can stick to will lead you to “Feel Better and Live Longer!”.
Jody Anderson, RN, CHC
Succeed Health, LLC- Algoma
www.succeedhealth.com
