Figure out what you value

Why do you brush your teeth?  Why do soldiers make the decision to sacrifice themselves for the safety of us all? Why do many of us choose to have children despite the long hours and mental, emotional, and physical strain it places on ourselves?  Our values. Values are how we define what is important in life. Values are ideals that give meaning to our life and give us a framework for our decisions and actions (Dossey & Keegan, 2016). Values become very powerful when it comes to achieving health and wellness goals. To have lasting goals, get clear on what you value to motivate you to lasting change.

Remember that motivation will only last so long. Often external motivations, like looking good in a swimsuit, will not sustain us. What will sustain us is our internal beliefs about what we truly value. How do you figure out what you value? These often come out in what we prioritize. What are your priorities in life? Often what you make as priority is where you spend a great deal of your time, and healthy or not, this IS showing what you value. If you have a health goal, you will need to take time for it and put value on it for it to become a part of your life permanently. The health goal must become as important to you as drinking a glass of water or washing your hair.  

Sometimes what we already value can internally push us to reach our goals. If you value family, I cannot think of a better gift then showing them what healthy looks like by role modeling or having them be inspired by your growth in the area of health and wellbeing.  If you respect and put value on the food you put into your mouth and view food as nourishing delicious medicine for your whole being to grow and heal, then you are more likely to take time for it. You will learn about healthy eating, plan your meal prep, take time to shop for healthy items, and prepare food that nourishes your body. When you value food, you will respect it enough to give it your full attention and visually present it in a way that feeds your whole self. The reality is, living a healthy life takes work and we spend our time on what we view as important. What you put value on and believe in your time and energy will naturally flow to.

Create a BIG goal and write down your steps towards it

I get it! There is so much health information out there and so many ways that you can increase your health and well being! Big goals can be overwhelming! You do not always know where to begin and it seems like a huge amount of work and your just exhausted before you even begin. I know what that feels like. All I ask is that you envision one beautiful health goal and see yourself achieving that goal. Write down the answer to these questions; what will you look and feel like when you reach this health and wellness goal? What will you need to give up in order to reach that healthier state of being? What do you need to say no to in order to say yes to these new healthy habits?

Do you have your goal in mind? Excellent! Now break it down. Begin by writing down the teeny tiny baby steps every day you will need to achieve your goal. Often our big goals feel like too much. When we are in a state of overwhelm it feels easier to just hide away or numb out. But starting small can feel much less scary. Taking one small step forward and setting daily or weekly goal feels much less daunting then planning for a month or a year ahead. A plan to exercise 5 minutes a day feels easier than doing 30-60 minutes daily. But 35 minutes total of activity in a week is much better then not even beginning.

Be SMART about your goals

Making a goal crushing plan using SMART goals can create lasting change. Smart goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time sensitive (Dossey, Luck, & Schaub, 2015).

Specific - What is it you want to accomplish? An example of a specific goal for stress management could look like doing meditation before bedtime to help you prepare yourself for sleep.

Measurable - Make it measurable so you know how you have achieved the goal. Deciding to do the meditation daily before bedtime for 5 minutes would be an example of making the goal measurable.

Achievable - Ask yourself if the goal is possible for you to reach. Are you capable of doing the goal? If the goal is too big, break it down. 30 minutes or an hour of physical activity could be too long to do if you are starting from the couch, so a smaller amount of time could be more achievable when you begin.

Realistic - Are you being realistic about the goal? Being realistic is asking yourself if you can do the goal and fit it into your current life.

Time Lined - Lastly, set a target time frame. Dossey, Luck, & Schaub, recommends setting a “by when date” and tracking how often you will be doing the small goal (2015).

Surround yourself with support

The reality is who and what we surround ourselves with matter to our health and wellness. This could look like surrounding yourself with images that support you or words that lift you up, supporting yourself by wearing your workout gear to bed so you have minimal excuses when you get up, or telling all those people in your corner who have your back your plan. Some may even join you. No matter how you choose to feel supported, it is an important component of being successful in the long term.

Sometimes support is a friend, family member, spouse, or it can be a professional like a physician, psychologist, or Nurse Coach. No matter who you are, having someone in your corner to encourage your health success will help to keep you accountable and on track.

Give Yourself Grace

Treat your incredible self with love and compassion. My friend, one day of not meeting your goal does not mean you quit. Consistency will get you to your end health and wellbeing goal. Give yourself grace. No athlete has ever had a perfect record everyday of their career and they still are viewed as successes. Sometimes health and wellness goals need to be modified in times of grief, illness, missed sleep, or weather, that is just reality, so practice extreme self-kindness. Recognize that the voice in your head that wants to keep you small will talk. While those automatic thought patterns may think they are trying to protect you, they come from a place of fear and want you to play small and that just is not you anymore because you are becoming a goal crushing champion. Playing small means that you do not live to your full potential and doing this means a life filled with regrets of missed opportunities.

Lastly, giving grace means you choose to begin again. Something is always better then nothing. By creating these health goals and looking after your health, you give and get the gift to fully and completely enjoy this big busy gorgeous world out there.