2021: A Fresh Start
Have you ever noticed that a challenging activity often seems the hardest before it has even begun?
Many of us have resolutions, goals and changes we want to make in our lives in the new year; perhaps more this new year than ever before. It’s time for a fresh start when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle! But it’s not always easy to get started.
Tips to help you launch into a life of wellness for 2021:
Make an action plan. As with anything else in life, having clear plans in place will drastically improve your chances of success. So instead of just trying to “de-stress” or “lose weight,” try setting a clear, specific plan for yourself. Think of your resolutions in terms of daily practices rather than results. Set a couple new habits for yourself that will move you forward. Write them down. Commit. Remember, when it comes to our overall wellness, small steps add up. It’s not important to do it all right now, but it’s important to do something.
Keep a clear “why” in your mind. People have health and wellness goals for different reasons. The people who actually STICK to those goals are the ones that keep those reasons in mind at all times, for motivation. Whether it’s because you want to have enough energy to play with your grandchildren or because you want to avoid heart disease, have a good reason behind wanting to live well, and hold onto it!
Make things fun. Changing things up every now and then will help to make things more interesting and get you looking forward to a healthy lifestyle. Try new exercises and recipes. Try meditation or dancing. Healthy doesn’t have to be boring!
Seek out inspiration. Surround yourself with positivity. Find new healthy recipe blogs, follow fitness accounts on Instagram, and watch YouTubers that talk about healthy lifestyles. Find a role model or someone that inspires you to be positive, optimistic and healthy. Watch movies that inspire or motivate you to change. Seek out inspiration and you’re sure to find it!
Be kind to yourself. Being too hard on yourself isn’t going to get you very far. This goes for negative self-talk, too. Don’t push yourself too hard; try to keep a positive attitude, and be sure to rest when you need to. Don’t beat yourself up if you get offtrack. Just regroup and get going again.
Track your progress and reward yourself. We often lose motivation when we don’t see clear progress. Keep track of your new behaviors and how you are feeling. Keep your successes front and center, even if they are small. This will motivate you to keep going.
Mark Twain actually said it best: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” The secret of getting started is breaking all of your complex, overwhelming tasks into small, manageable tasks, and then starting with the first one.
Kris Ohlson is a Wellness Coach at Beacon Health & Fitness.