With vacations winding down, for some, and another 4th of July in the books it's time to kick those bad habits you picked up over the last few weeks to the side and jump back on the wagon. Some of you may have forgotten what wagon you were on...maybe it's been so long that you have forgotten what a wagon looks like! Whatever the case, there is always, always, always the time AND the place to get on a wagon or get BACK on your wagon. Let's proceed...
For most of us falling off any wellness plan or regimen includes a few things. Maybe you were eating clean, paleo, vegan, low-carb, etc. Maybe you had a fitness goal that got pushed to the side or maybe your wagon included some self-care...think daily devotionals, meditation and prayer or making time for yourself with a soak or massage. Whatever the case, lets jump into a few ways to climb back aboard the train, *errrr wagon*, and resume working to achieve our goals!
Here are a few ways to get back on track, whatever your wellness journey looks like,
1. Revisit your GOALS!
What does your journey look like when you can say you have reached a goal? Do you have one goal? Maybe two or more? Are your goals about weight, fitness, giving, etc?
Let's pause. This is where I must step up on my soap box. Both for you AND for myself! Please, and I repeat, PLEASE shy away from numerical scale goals. I mean those goals that go something like, "I want to weigh XXX lbs in X number of days/weeks/months". While weight loss is a goal that you may have, I want you to change your thought processes toward NON-SCALE VICTORIES. Some of you may not have heard this term before. Basically, it's any goal that you have that DOES NOT INCLUDE weighing yourself or seeing a number change on the scale! Here are some examples of Non-Scale Victories,
-I want to be able to run a mile without stopping.
-I want to be able to do my job without being tired when I get home.
-I want to be able to fit into those pants from 5 years ago.
-I want to be ale to do 10 unassisted pull-ups.
-I want to be able to keep up with my grandchildren.
-I want to improve my chances of dodging my poor genetics.
These are the greatest VICTORIES when you achieve them and I PROMISE you, you will be more thrilled to accomplish these types of goals rather than seeing a stupid number change on your scale. And while we are talking about scales...and then I promise I'll step off my soap box, the scale does not define you. I will repeat that. THE SCALE DOES NOT DEFINE YOU! The only thing a scale can accomplish, by definition, is a body's relative mass or the quantity of matter contained by it, giving rise to a downward force. There is no way, shape, or form that a scale can tell you about what kind of person you are. It does not know the depths of your intelligence, the way that those around you value who you are as a person, your sense of humor or the beautiful things that you do for others. Not to mention, it has no idea how tall you are, how much muscle you have or what your structure is. Thus, making it a very inconsistent and unreliable form of measurement! So, you might as well throw it out. *Okay, stepping off of soap box.*
So, we covered non-scale victory type of goals. Moving on...this doesn't mean we stop at one goal, say, "Good job, self", and quit. {Wellness is more of a journey. Goal after goal after goal, working toward reaching a well self}. You should revisit your goals when you have an achievement because they may need to be tweaked. And, as a guideline, goals should always follow the S.M.A.R.T. rules:
S- Is it specific? M- Is it measurable? A- Is it attainable? R- Is it realistic?
T- Is there a time frame?
If you want to know if your goal is a S.M.A.R.T. goal, please email me and I'd be happy to go over your specific goals with you!
2. Revisit your WHY???
Why does anyone want anything? There is a reason you want what you want. Write that down. When you get discouraged, read it. And, read it again, and again. There are thousands of reasons you can come up with every day to quit moving forward. You can probably come up with at least 10 right off the top of your head, right now, without me even having to list any. When those feelings creep in, and they will, re-read your why.
Maybe you want to be healthy to see your children's children's children. Maybe you want to get off of that drug or stop needing to depend on something or someone. Maybe you want a little more independence in your life or to be in the best shape you've ever been in. Regardless of your goal(s), your why should be your fuel. {It should be so powerful, so exciting, so motivating that you wake up in the morning ready to move mountains for that WHY}.
3. Failing to plan leads to planning to fail.
This section needs no description, really. Here are a few tips to get motivated:
+Set a date to resume working toward your goals. Or, start now.
+Meal prep snacks and foods that are guilt free and ready for your on-the-go lifestyle.
+Ask a buddy to keep you accountable. Or, ask a buddy to go to the gym with you.
+Pick up the phone and make that appointment you've put off for self-care.
+Start a food or fitness journal. (There are plenty of free resources online)
+Brainstorm a list of ways you can implement just ONE new healthy habit this week.
Lastly, maybe you are overwhelmed. Are you sitting there reading this thinking you have to start everything all at once? I am here to tell you that you DO Not and probably should not. Just start with one thing. Just ONE! Maybe it's increasing your water intake. *Get yourself a new pretty water bottle and fill 'er up. Set reminders on your phone to tell you when it's time for a fill up and keep on chuggin' along.*
{Start just that one thing}. You'll have a better chance of implementing more healthy habits down the road if you start them one at a time. And, after a little while you'll be ready to start the next ONE thing. And then the next, and the next. Nect thing you know you will be well on your way down the road of Wellness. But, the first step to getting back on the wagon, and staying on, is starting.
Happy Wagon Riding!
Dr. A