I don’t know about you, but I am so excited that April is just around the corner (just a few more days!!)! The flowers are starting to grow, the grass is slowly turning green, and I can hear the birds chirping when I’m on my morning run. There’s just something about the smell of new beginnings that makes me think about starting fresh in my health actions.
Everyone must enter a time where they reevaluate their goals and their routines. In fact, this is something I work with my clients on. One of the biggest things about your health/fitness goals is that they must be adaptable and dynamic just like your life, and just like you! Whether we are looking to lose weight, get lean, take on a new job or event, or simply “eat better”, it is easy to become stagnant in our efforts. Sometimes we think we are on track, simply because things have become routine. We feel like we know what we’re doing, that all our choices and actions are sound. That routine that gets us through, can also become our nemesis, holding us back from where we want to be. Start fresh; don’t let the groove of your routines hold you in place. While some of your actions may be worth holding on to, being challenged and inspired in new ways is what helps us soar. I love helping people find their inspiration, motivation, and means of achieving a healthier, more confident life. The added bonus is that it inspires and motivates me as well. April is a beautiful month, full of new life and change. So, feel the flow, embrace the change, and be inspired to start fresh with your health and fitness. Spring Break is something that almost everyone looks forward to. Whether you’re going on vacation or simply relaxing at home, the week-long detox from busy work schedules is absolutely necessary.
When I think about Spring Break, the first word that comes to my mind is emergence. One of the best things about this week is that you can finally have the chance to shed the hibernation lifestyle and start thinking FRESH for spring! Think of it as a spring-cleaning for your health lifestyle. It’s an awesome time to get rid of all of that junky comfort food laying around, open up the windows, and get some fresh veggies in the kitchen. I just love the idea that outdoor workouts can finally not be paired with bitter cold winds or icy sidewalks, but instead cool breezes and green grass. Now of course, it’s a lot more tempting to still eat all of the comfort foods when you’re on vacation. But this is a choice you make for yourself. Are you going to let your vacation be a health dropper or a health improver? Don’t let the fatty foods on the menu keep you from having a time of emergence. A fun trip to the beach can still be healthy if you keep yourself accountable to your time of change. Instead of ordering something deep fried and greasy, the grilled fish and fresh veggies will be just as rewarding. Plus, healthy eating will keep your energy up, which means you’ll be up for even more adventures on your trip! Next week marks the beginning of April, so I encourage all of you to start spring-cleaning your health lifestyle and try new things. Go to the farmers market, try an outdoor workout, or simply just spend more time outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Whatever you choose to do, this is your time to emerge into a better, fresher YOU. And in the end, that’s what Spring Break is really all about. Are you getting in the way of achieving your goals? We can talk all day about how setting the right goals and staying accountable is super important (and of course, it is), but when everything really boils down, the only thing left standing there is you. So, what can we do about that?
The answer? Know that you can do it. If you believe that you can accomplish your goals, then you certainly will. But having a strong self-mantra goes beyond setting goals. It can be the foundation that allows you to build confidence. Confidence leads to courage, and leads to success. This success could be personal, work related, or whatever else you might think of. This is a tried and true fact. The book store is full of books based on this simple, but elusive concept. I personally see it every day, in action. My clients not only talk about how they loved losing weight having more energy, sleeping and eating better, but describe how they are changing with the feeling of confidence from loving themselves more. Here’s one of my secrets. Everyone looks in the mirror at some point in their day. Our reflection stares back at us from glass doors, elevator walls, and sleeping computer screens - but it's best to do this idea when you aren’t in a crowd. Say your self-mantra 3 times while looking yourself in the eyes. Self-doubt is easy, self-belief is challenging. Make it short and make it powerful. You are strong. You are your own force. In both good times and bad, remember your statement. Have one, have three, change it as you feel the need. It is who you are and who you will be, for as long as you continue to remind yourself of it. Remember “I Love Lucy?” Well, I love Lucy – really! She was so public and out there with everything she tried to do. We laughed at her epic failures, but we also cheered for her and secretly wanted her to succeed. I keep her in mind when I need to give myself a boost toward a goal. I have a Lucy magnet that I use to pin my goal to my refrigerator when I’m really trying to challenge myself toward something. Everyone who sees the fridge can ask me about it, and I see it every day, multiple times a day. I cut the note out of colored construction paper, so it looks like a cartoon message balloon, with Lucy saying the words. I also try to talk to friends and family about the events I have coming up—what I’m training for and what new foods or food changes I am working to implement (thank goodness I have tolerant friends and family!). Right now, I’m searching for some new athletic goals for myself. I want to do something epic. So, look for me to be sharing those ideas sometime soon. I’m going to take my own advice…and go public with it!
Accountability to yourself, while important, can be a lonesome journey. There’s a reason why sports teams need cheerleaders and fans. There’s a reason why we go to the dentist to get our teeth cleaned and checked. There is a reason why schools give grades and measure performance. We need someone besides ourselves to help us stay on top of those things that are important to us. We need a way to measure our progress. We need a way to find out how we are doing outside of our own opinion. We need to share and be shared with. How many times do we say, “I know what I need to be doing, but I’m just not doing it,”? Staying accountable and consistent to your goals is half the battle of getting lean and healthy. In fact, it is half the battle of any goal you might set. The consistency of doing the good stuff, is where real change comes from. We can all talk about how it’s important to keep going and stay motivated, but where does accountability actually fit in? Staying healthy and fit is no different. One of the best ways I’ve found to keep myself accountable to my health and fitness goals is going public. If you put it out there and you aren’t afraid to talk about it, you’ll be surprised by how supportive people can be. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable, if you aren’t staying on top of things. Sometimes you’re just itching for someone to ask you, so you can say proudly how well it’s going. If you don’t tell anyone, you miss out on both sides of this. Pick something on your goals list and give it a try. Post it on your refrigerator, put a sticky note on your desk or wall at work, tell your friends what you are working toward, and put it on social media if you REALLY want to go pubic! How you choose to share, that’s up to you, but keeping it only to yourself reduces your probability of success. Make it big, make it little, it doesn’t matter, just pick something and go public about it. It can be as simple as committing to meet someone at the gym at 5:30 am for a workout, and not cancelling. Maybe you are trying to give up diet soda? Put it out there – let people know that you’re working hard to make it happen So, here’s the bottom line. “Go public. “ Share your goals and be proud of what you accomplish. Put yourself out there—just like Lucy! |