We have all been there. Facing a change that we know we need to make. Standing on this side of the change can seem so overwhelming and because of that we just keep putting that change off. It seems thought, the longer we put it off the worse the guilty feeling gets and of course that is followed by all negative talk in our head. So how do you make lifestyle changes that last? Below are 6 simple ideas to get you started.
- Know your why: I think knowing why you want to make a change is the most important step in making a change. You need to know why it is worth it to you to be different than you are right now. The “why” has to be big. It can’t just be that you want to lose a few pounds. Your “why” has to be big such as I want to get healthy so that I can watch my kids grow up, start their lives, and be a grandparent.
- Make a plan: I am a strong believer in planning. If you are not prepared than it is more likely that you will not be able to sustain the change for very long. So many things in our lives can throw us off track and if you know what those things are you can already be prepared to handle them. Let’s say you are going to start eating better. You begin your week and it is going really well, but on Wednesday you get stuck late at work and you are hungry and don’t think you can make it home to eat what you had set for dinner. This derails you and you end up at a fast food restaurant. If you would have just thought through the week and made a healthy snack bag for these instances you could have made it home and stayed on your plan.
- Schedule it: Put it on your calendar and treat it like it is a meeting you can’t get out of. For instance, if you take an exercise class at 5:30 Monday, Wednesday and Friday put it on your work calendar so you see it all day long and know you have it coming up. Also, put it on your family calendar so everyone knows you will be busy during that time.
- Take Action: There is a saying that goes When we know better, we do better.” I believe this is true but without action nothing changes. Once we take action, something else will occur or a window will open causing us to take another action. Each action leads us one step closer to our goals.
- Be accountable: Find someone you trust and let them know what your plans are and check in with them on a regular basis. Since we don’t like to let others down telling someone will help keep you on track and aspiring to reach your goals.
- Set Goals: Goals also help us stay on track. When we set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time bound) we know what we are trying to accomplish and the steps we need to take to achieve our goals. Setting goals gives us a direction and a sense of fulfillment when we accomplish what we set out to do.
