I know that once the weather starts getting warmer, all of our minds turn to one of several things:
1. Longer days and more time spent outside!
2. The inevitable end of the school year!
3. Baseball season is here!
4. Vacations, vacations, vacations!
5. Ice cream!
6. Swimsuit season is fast approaching!
7. Oh no! It’s getting warmer outside. That means that I won’t be able to wear my giant winter coat, my furry hat and scarf. I’ll have to wear shorts and short sleeves! Even worse, I never kept my New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get healthier!
The good news is that it’s getting warmer and we can use the extra hours of daylight and spend time outside in the fresh air.
The downside and I can think of two biggies:
1. A very large percentage of people are not happy with the way they feel in their bodies.
2. Spring time allergies, Sinus problems & the gamut of issues that surround springtime respiratory ailments.
So these seem to be two hugely different topics.
Yes, they are BUT the approach to dealing with each can be the same!
Today I’ll briefly go over how I deal with goal setting as it relates to these two very different issues.
First, identify what it is that you really want. Let’s take weight loss as an example.
You really want to lose weight. Great! But let’s be more specific. How much? In what time period? Will you have support? How much are you willing to change or give up?
Asking yourself these questions will be very important in getting clear about your goals. This will help determine how you set your priorities
Second, list the people, places and things that are your barriers to success. What is going to prevent you from reaching your goal?
Be honest and complete. If you stand in your own way because you really love to eat a pint of ice cream before dinner every night, then put that down.
The more brutally honest you are now, the better.
This list is not going to be the things that you cut out of your life. This is just a reference tool for you. I would never ask you to deprive yourself, that is, unless you really are eating a whole pint of ice cream before bedtime, but that’s a whole other story…
Third, look back to your desired timeline and break up your larger goal into smaller, bite-size, more manageable goals.
If you said you wanted to lose 15 pounds of body fat in 3 months, then break up your goal into individual months, then into weeks.
It is much harder mentally to approach a 15 pound weight loss goal than it is to approach a 3 pound goal.
Fourth, create a plan. What will it take for you to reach your goal? What will you need to change? If you don’t know, ask for help.
Determine who, what, when and where. If you are looking to lose weight but work 9 hours a day with only 20 minutes for lunch, plan ahead. If you leave your meals to chance while looking to lose weight, you might be taking a huge risk.
You already know, whether you believe it or not, that you have all the knowledge you’ll ever need to reach your goals. There are just two very important pieces missing.
SUPPORT & CONFIDENCE!
You will ultimately be more successful if you have the support of those around you and confidence in yourself and in your abilities to get yourself healthier!
Fifth, set your priorities. Determine what is important to you- your goal- and take steps in that direction.
You will not always have the complete and total support of everyone you know ALL the time!
If someone you love is undermining your attempts at improving your life, then you need to be strong and hold onto the goals you’ve set and the priorities that are important to you.
Lastly, re-examine, re-evaluate over and over again!
There is no failure here when you are setting yourself down the path to a healthier and happier life. Every step forward is progress, every step back is a lesson.
