As a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, I want to see you succeed in the mastery of your wellbeing.   That means health and wellness for you in all things mind, body and spirit.  The fundamentals of wellbeing are the same for all of us.  What we do to get there, is different for each of us.   My hope for you is that you find some new healthy habits that you are willing to stick with for the long term.   Although you might start looking pretty good…the real prize is your health and wellness.
 

How to Achieve your Goals in 7 Steps: 

1. Create a vision for yourself and make it big.  It can be bigger than weight loss.  It can be as dreamy and as farfetched as you like.  It is yours to make happen.  Write your vision in the present tense as if it is already happening.  For example, you might write, “I am 20 pounds lighter and I feel good and look good in my new clothes.  I have more confidence and abundant energy, and I am peaceful and happy.  When I feel that I am getting stressed, I take a moment to pause, and clear my head, take a deep breath and tackle the situation at hand.
2. Create your three month goals. What do you want to be doing in three months consistently that moves you toward your vision?  Those are your three month goals.  Three months is long enough to create new habits and short enough to stay motivated to reach your goals, and gain momentum and excitement around your actions.
3. Set weekly goals. Your weekly goals are to help you reach your three month goals toward your vision.  Choose actions you are willing to do and keep your commitment to yourself.  Keeping your commitment to yourself makes you stronger.
4. Ask yourself what behaviors you will practice daily to reach the outcomes you want for yourself.  The reason why so many New Year’s Resolutions go by the wayside is because we set “outcome goals” without the behaviors needed to reach them.  For example, “I will lose 10 pounds”, is an outcome goal.
5. You will encounter obstacles- we all do- this is life. To overcome obstacles and get back on track fast, you will want to know what your obstacles are likely to be, and what strengths you will use to overcome those.  For example, let’s say you have a new born baby who demands much of your time.  Your weekly goal is to walk twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursdays with your neighbor at 7 pm.  Your spouse said he/she would watch baby while you go for your walk with your friend.  What could happen? – Your friend could bale on you or your spouse cannot get home from work on time to watch baby.  What will you do?   Here is your game - you will play the “If this happens, then this is what I will do” …If this, then what?   Have a plan.  The plan might be to walk on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon instead, or wake up early to go for a walk the following morning.   The purpose of this game is for you to get back on track fast.  Life happens.  Your strengths may be resilience, or determination, or conviction.  Use those to get you through obstacles.  When you fall off track, all you need to do is decide in the present moment to get back on, and make your next choice a good one.  It is not an all or nothing approach.  
6. Write your goals (both weekly and three-month goals) in the S.M.A.R.T. format (specific, measurable, action oriented, realistic and time bound).  Weekly Goal Example:  I will drink water from my green cup at lunch each day this week.
7. Finally- know your motivators and why your vision is important to you.  Unless you attach deep meaning for your changes, they might not stick.  Your motivators will change overtime.  Once you reach your goals, your motivators change because you are now in a different place.  Recognize that to keep your healthy practice inspired, you need to keep creating, learning and growing.  Here is the secret:  Ask yourself why losing weight is important to you.  You may say—“Because I want to feel good”.  Then ask yourself 3-5 more times - Why do I want to feel good? You may answer, “Because I want to have more fun in life”.  Why do I want to have more fun in life? – “Because I do not want any regrets”.  Why do I not want any regrets in life? “Because I want peace and happiness and total fulfillment”.  ©Kathryn Scoblick

 
© Health Inspires.

“We need dirt,”  he said. “What?  Why do we need dirt?” I asked.  My 13 year old son replied, “We need dirt for our backyard so I can make (bicycle) jumps.”  Ohhhhh….I thought as I now understood where he was coming from.  I then said, “Sure, we can look at that.”

Although I decided to make the calls and investigate bringing in dirt, I was mostly thinking, “That’s my guy…keeps my hopping, never a dull moment, and man… that child likes to spend some money!…On dirt this time! I think I will try and discourage him.”   There I am…the supportive mom.

A couple of weeks roll by and he mentions it again.  My husband and son go outside to look at the greenbelt behind our house.  It is full of trees and needs to be cleaned out. They were discussing and designing where the dirt should go.  I am still thinking… “Really…dirt?”  

One of the things I consistently teach is that we have everything we need right now to take the next step in the direction we want to go.  We allow inevitable challenges and obstacles to become the reasons of why we don’t finish something (yet) and accomplish little or nothing.  Many times these “obstacles” are nothing more than a thought we allowed ourselves to think.  A reason or excuse of why we haven’t done something.  That happens sometimes, doesn’t it? 

Rather than waiting on dirt, waiting on me to visit Home Depot and asking for the dirt guy list of numbers, calling the dirt people, getting the estimate on dirt, who is delivering it?  Really?  I really do not want to spend my money on dirt.  

In the meantime, my son and his friend got to work.  With our shovel, ax, hoe and their desire for and willingness to work to create bike ramps; they cleared a path in the greenbelt.  They collected sticks and branches that had fallen from trees and piled them horizontally in one nice stack until it reached a reasonable height for a ramp.  They found a piece of plywood and angled that plywood on that pile of branches.  In another spot, about 15 feet in front of that, they found some large stones (probably from my garden), and used a smaller piece of plywood to create the first and smaller ramp.  

I was so proud of them.  They used the resources they had, worked for what they wanted and created some jumps!  Free!  Complete!  Now they can enjoy their jumps and feel amazing for making it happen; the reward for their efforts.  Not to mention, saving the mother her time and money.  

Imagination.  Creation.  Accomplishment.  Achievement.  Success.  These things can be measured in many ways.  Some of those measures are not what you would normally think of.  Those measures are that you kept your commitment to yourself, you stayed the course, you created your reality and did not allow something you made up in your head, a thought, keep you from doing what you wanted to do.  

You know what you need to do.  Take that step, then the next, and the next.  Take one day at a time, and get one in a row, then two and so on.  Control what you can and understand that you can’t always control outside factors, yet you can control what you do to move forward.  Most importantly you can control your thoughts.  You may have heard the saying that if you believe that you can’t, then you are right.  Stay peaceful, stay on track, take a deep breath and look at your choices when a challenge arises.  What will you choose?  Chip away.  You can.  Build your ramps.  Those will take you where you want to go.  


Health Inspires. 

The real you is waiting.  You know you are in there!  You know how good it feels when you are doing your best, feeling purposeful and when everything is clicking in your life.  Keep that feeling, self awareness, joy, happiness and connectedness by practicing these 5 ACTIONS to the REAL YOU. 

1. Give Love, show love, live love and be love.  Love is action and is shown in acts of kindness, helping others and showing compassion.  Mostly, it is wanting what you want for yourself more for others.  It has been said that love is the greatest gift of all.  1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  We are all connected by love.  What response do you get when you speak to somebody in a frustrated, angry or ugly tone?  Exactly the same as your delivery…right? The same holds true when you speak to somebody in a loving and caring tone, and show love by treating yourself and others with respect. 
2. Give kindness, show kindness, live kindness and be kindness.  This goes hand in hand with love.  You show kindness through acts of love.  These are actionable items that will bring you joy and happiness.  The feeling and energy we get when we help others is palpable.  That energy spreads and connects us all.  It is a positive force that is in us and when we show kindness, we are inspiring others to act the same.  When you are kind, others respond in likeness.  When you are not, others respond in likeness.  
   
3. Pray, meditate and spend time listening.  Peacefulness grows from listening.  Slow down to have quiet time, if even for 5 minutes.  This will give you perspective on your best day and on your worst day.  Listen.  Pray.  Meditate.  Stay connected to your true self, to living your purpose and staying on path.  Use your natural gifts that come easily to you.  What do you enjoy?  What are you good at?  If you are still searching, practicing steps 1, 2 and 3 will lead you to answers.  The more you practice, the more of this you will be.  You will find clearer communications with others.  I find the best time for me is in the morning and again during the day when stress tries to creep in.  Listen, pray and meditate.   Start your day and end your day in prayer.  It works.  Stay connected.  
4. Practice gratefulness.  Recognize the good in your life from the little things to the big things and everything in between.  You have everything you need right now to take the next step in the direction of your dreams.  I share with my children frequently, that they have everything they need right now to be the best they can be.  The only thing that stops any of us is a thought we allow our mind to think.  Those thoughts can be paralyzing.  Much of what we feel starts in our head.  You have everything you need right now, to take the next step in the right direction for you.  Writing down what you are grateful for takes the emphasis off less pleasant things and places it on the good.  I suggest keeping a gratitude journal and writing down three things you are grateful for every night, or state those things in your prayers every night.  Writing has a visual component that helps emphasize things you are grateful for.  I have a friend who says that her favorite bed time prayer her parents used to say with her was simply,  “Thank you.  Amen.”
5. Begin with the end in mind.  Stephen Covey says “Begin with the end in mind”, Dr. Wayne Dyer has said, “Think from the end”, and most importantly, in the bible; Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  Similarly, in Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.  You truly can create things for yourself in this life.  A single thought of doubt can throw you off track and keep you from being all that you are meant to be.  It is a sort of human self sabotage.  Therefore, a belief and vision of what you want in your life will act the same.  If you believe it…so shall it be.  Begin with the end in mind and think from the end.  Write it out in your handwriting.  Cut out pictures and hang them so you can see those everyday.  Create actions to move in that direction. Schedule time for those bigger goals each week, and in all things and in all moments; practice steps 1-5.

Take time to stay in love, in kindness, in prayer, in gratitude and on your path.  We all benefit from this.  

Health Inspires.

Not everybody practices the rituals of the Lenten season.  Lent is observed by catholics and many Christians, and is a time to reflect and make positive changes in their life for the better; through prayer, fasting and charity.  Lent means "spring" or "new birth."   


It is so often that we “give up” something for the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday, and then we go back to the same routine.

Many people during the spring season engage in the same behaviors as those observing Lent, or vice versa.  Many of us make springtime goals to be better, more organized, nicer to to our families, lose some weight, start an exercise program, stop drinking coffee, no more wine, no bread...essentially “give something up”.  The desire to make yourself better and practice more control of your choices is good.  Writing down the necessary action steps for success and having your response prepared when obstacles occur; even better.  

Create a new habit:
I have been writing about habits and behavior change since 2008, and believe that habits dictate most of what we do.  Growing up with a father that touted repeatedly “30 days to make or break a habit”, sinks in over time.  Change requires willingness to change, self discipline and simple, achievable steps.  We tend to take extreme paths that are not sustainable.  We fast, cleanse, and diet in preparation of summer, or after the holidays.  The energy, time and money it takes us to get our brains wrapped around starting a “new program”, starting, achieving the goal and then somehow coming full circle is the definition of insanity.  You may have heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. 

Doing things repeatedly the same time everyday helps create a habit.  If you typically grab a diet soda in the afternoon, replace that with green tea.  If you are not drinking enough water, then find a time that you will add 8 oz. to your day, if you are drinking too much coffee, then drink one less each day this week and go from there.  If you have been enjoying a high calorie snack in the afternoons, replace that with a healthier choice, like an apple. You might discover these actions are more your habit or routine rather than your true desire to have whatever it is. Use Lent or spring as the time to create those new habits that will last a lifetime.   

Change one thing at a time, be specific with your goal, make it measurable, achievable, realistic, and time bound.  That is a S.M.A.R.T goal.  It is formed in the positive frame of what you will do, not what you won’t do; i.e., not what you are “giving up”.  Here are some of examples of S.M.A.R.T goals:

1. I will choose fresh fruit or a vegetable, for my afternoon snack M-F, if I am hungry
2. I will drink 1, 8 oz. glass of water every morning before I leave for work
3. I will go for a 15 minute walk M-TH after dinner, (or a 30 minute walk at my child’s baseball practice M and W)
4. I will order a green salad with grilled salmon or grilled chicken at every business lunch 
5. I will do 20 pushups, 20 squats and 100 situps every morning before I leave for work (or when my kids get on the school bus)

Delay immediate gratification:
I agree it is way more exciting to see 5+ pounds come off in one week!  It is not way more exciting to hear about the toll that takes on your physical body, body chemistry and organs…yo-yo dieting is not helpful.  It is harmful; both physically and mentally.  Changing one thing at a time may take more time for results, but the results will show up.  The benefits of your achievement go far beyond the physical.  

The “I can’t have that” extreme diet plan takes the fun out of dining with friends and not allowing yourself to enjoy one glass of wine or one piece of bread with your healthy meal.  One piece of bread or one glass of wine, paints a picture of moderation.  One of anything, and only sometimes (depending what it is), is the right practice.  It is a good approach for all of us; (one cup of coffee (not 3), one glass of wine (not two or three), 6 baby carrots (not chips-except at Friday lunch, for example).  Life is about choices.  We cannot have everything all of the time, and we certainly should enjoy the good times, and practice moderation, and moderation in moderation at times.  

So, if you are planning for your spring renewal, whether through Lent or in your regular spring ritual, play for life this time.  Take baby steps and make it sustainable.  Ultimately, the picture is bigger than your summer body.  It is truly about your health and wellness....and of course, your summer body;), that lasts through the seasons!  

See more of my blogs on this topic for encouragement.  Ready for change?  Dive in!
http://www.healthinspires.com/3/post/2013/08/what-makes-a-person-believe-they-can_______.html
http://www.healthinspires.com/3/post/2013/11/top-12-super-foods-super-easy-super-nutritious-super-transportable-and-super-kid-and-adult-friendly.html


Health Inspires.

What is the greatest investment you can make in yourself that requires no cash outlay, 150 minutes per week, gives you an edge, makes you feel stronger and happier, saves you medical expenses, promotes your good health, provides you with energy, inspiration and confidence?  

The overarching umbrella to all other things are principles.  Living by principles tells the story of who you are.  It certainly feeds our emotional, intellectual needs and even our spiritual needs.  It affects our relationships for better or for worse. It is the very soul and conscience of who you are and who you want to be.  The peaceful feeling, knowingness and energy you will have tells you that you are living right by your principles.  

Making decisions based on correct principles cultivates wisdom, integrity, trust, sincerity, honesty, confidence, perseverance and dependability.  All good things.  We are all busy, and have life demands, circumstances and situations that test us.  Reacting to those situations isn’t peaceful.  Living and practicing a principled centered life is essentially “doing the right thing”…and we all know that is sometimes the hardest thing to do.  Here are some great reasons to stay on track and live right. 


10 Benefits of Living a Principle Centered Life:

1. Self Awareness.
2. Confidence.
3. Your own life and experiences will validate your decisions (no need to be validated by others).
4. Others' attitudes and behaviors will not affect you.
5. You listen and act on what you may call your intuition, your gut instinct, conscience or the holy spirit. (how many times have you said “if I would have just listened to myself...”)
6. You will view change as an opportunity to contribute.
7. You will serve and build others up. 
8. You interpret life experiences as opportunities for learning.
9. Emotions and circumstances are less likely to drive your decisions (they will be based on principles).
10. Clarity.  You consider the big picture, outcomes and long term results of your actions, decisions and choices.

10 Actions to Peace:

1. Slow down.
2. Pray, meditate and spend time listening.
3. Pause before you speak.  Allow time for your and mouth and brain to connect.  It is OK to say “That is a good thought, would you mind if I think about it and get back to you?”
4. Clarify.  “If I understand you correctly, I hear you saying...____; Is that right?”  I have read that in 80% of our conversations, two people are talking about two different things and think they are in complete understanding.  This is because we tend to project our own life experiences and perceptions into what we are hearing.  
5. Educate yourself.  No ignorant decisions allowed.  If it is a big decision, it is good to consult with experts, and others whose input you value.  There is no need to deal with tough decisions on your own.  This is different than looking for validation.  This is education, knowledge and consulting.
6. Collaborate.  Very little in life is conquered alone.  It is nice to have others to share in your life experiences.  
7. Prioritize. Make room on your weekly schedule for the bigger things you want to accomplish (A nice analogy is that you won’t tackle the bigger project that is due if you get stuck in your less important e-mails, or, you can’t organize your closet if you first unload the dishwasher everynight.  What are your bigger goals?  Schedule time for those bigger goals each week).
8. Keep your appointments and commitments to yourself and others.  Allow time to prepare.  Allow flexibility for people and your relationships.
9. Fill your buckets.  What do you value?  What areas in your life are out of balance?  Is it a disconnect with your spouse, your children, your girlfriends, church, alone time,  group time, charity, exercise, planning healthy meals, reading a good book, planning for a vacation, or making time to make your dreams come true?  (Did I just stress you out?!…take one at a time). Schedule time to fill those.  
10. Keep a gratitude journal.  It is positive reinforcement to recognize the good in our lives.  Writing down what you are grateful for takes the emphasis off less pleasant things and places it on the good.  Each night write down three things you are grateful for.  At the very least, it can be a hug and a kind expression to someone in your life that you deeply care about.  

Health Inspires.

You know how it goes if you have ever tried to lose weight. 
You might have that one unsuccessful day when you fall off the wagon...

How did you speak to yourself when that happened? 
Was it kind?  

If you have experienced that one unsuccessful day, then you might also be familiar with the weight coming off…Yea!!!...and then back on…Boo!!  
After all of that hard work?!  How did you speak to yourself then? 
Was it kind? 

Why is it that we find it easier to be kind and supportive to others more than to ourselves? 

As you kick off your weight loss News Years Resolution like thousands of others, I would ask that you consider your first News Years Resolution to be “I will be kind to myself”. Then implement these 5 tips for success, being kind to yourself every step of the way.  

Most of us already know what it means to eat healthier. Eating more fruits and veggies; less fats and sugars.  Actually doing it, and doing it consistently, is an entirely different story.  What could be missing is a little accountability, support and coaching to help you achieve.   

Old habits die hard.
Creating new healthy habits take time and yes, commitment.  Taking the time to create them will evolve into a lifetime of healthy habits.  Although the following tips apply to overall wellness, and I firmly believe you can achieve overall wellness, these are specific to your weight loss goal for your sustainable weight loss.  However, I encourage you to use them broadly for a healthy mind, body and spirit.  It is all tied together anyway!

1. Be kind to yourself.  This includes positive self talk and even your surrounding environment.  Consider and give yourself credit for what is working in your life.  Think about it.
   
2. Create a vision of what you want to feel like and look like in one year.  Yes one year.  This game is called your life and we are playing for keeps.  No more quick fixes allowed.  
   
3. Create 3 month goals that tie to your vision of weight loss (health and wellness).
   
4. Set several achievable S.M.A.R.T. goals (S-Specific, M- Measurable, A-Action Based and Achievable, R-Relevant, T-Time-bound) each week.  I want to reiterate achievable.  Tweak your goals until you know they are both challenging and achievable. (see examples below).
   
5. Allow for missteps when they come, and they will come. Focus on your motivators and what you value most.  Have strategies in place for when you have a setback to get back on track fast. It is not about perfection.  It is about persistence and achievement.  

Examples of S.M.A.R.T Goals:  

• I will walk 3 days next week on Monday (after work), Thursday (after work) and Saturday (morning) for 30 minutes.
• I will plan for 3 healthy meals and create a shopping list for my husband before he goes to the grocery store on Saturday.  I will prep the food for those meals on Sunday so I am ready for the week. 
• I will drink 4 cups of water from my blue cup each day M-F at work. 

Most importantly, whether you are trying to lose weight or not, be kind to yourself. 
Say it out loud: Be Kind to Myself.  

Happy New Year from Health Inspires!