It’s common to choose certain times of the year to create a fresh start but the most common times are the new year, springtime, and fall. Each of those times represents an opportunity to start something. If you are wanting to eat better, lose weight, get moving more, increase your ability to manage stress or improve your health and energy levels, then I hope this blog will be helpful in preparing you for success.
Change is challenging! There I’ve said it. I know it’s not a great way to start a blog, but I want to be honest and up front. The good news is even though change is challenging, the more you understand how change happens, the better prepared you will be for success.
It’s common to choose certain times of the year to create a fresh start but the most common times are the new year, springtime, and fall. Each of those times represents an opportunity to start something. If you are wanting to eat better, lose weight, get moving more, increase your ability to manage stress or improve your health and energy levels, then I hope this blog will be helpful in preparing you for success.
When you first look at changing something in your life you need to consider how to shift from what you are doing presently to what it is you want to do.
Change is best approached in increments. Many people think that making changes is just about doing things differently. If it was that simple, change would be easy.
The first step is to get clear on what you want your new behavior to look like or be. Once you have determined that, take some time to visualize yourself doing the new behavior. Notice if you feel good while doing this. It is essential that what you want to change makes you feel good. If you notice when you do this exercise, your anxiety goes up, you might be biting off more than you can chew, or you have chosen the wrong thing to work on. Because change begins in your mind first, keep altering your vision until it feels just right. Make sure it is achievable, fits into your life easily and reflects what you value.
Next, consider and create a path you can realistically follow that will help you with your change process. Without a plan, you risk easily sliding back to the old behavior. Not having a plan is like being in an ocean without a paddle. If you don’t create a thoughtful plan, you won’t know what to do differently. Take your time when creating your plan. Your path needs to integrate into your life easily and realistically. For example, if you are wanting to increase the amount of exercise you are doing, you might begin with a 15-minute exercise session. Consider the time of day that would work the best. Determine how many days a week you want to practice your exercise session and what you need to do differently to successfully achieve this? Do you need to get up 15 minutes earlier, put 15 minutes aside at your lunch time or shut down work 15 minutes earlier? Getting clear and being realistic will help you create a plan that flows well and works for you and your life.
Having the support, you need to stay committed and motivated is essential to any successful change program. Let your family and friends know what your plan is and share that their support is important to your success. Ask for help with accountability, ongoing encouragement, and positive feedback. Doing so will help you stay motivated, maintain your commitment, and help you stay on track.
If I didn’t talk about the importance of your mindset in this process, I wouldn’t be doing this blog justice. Changing how you think about what you are doing is essential to successful change. Notice If what you are doing differently makes you feel good and use this feeling as a motivator to reproduce the new behavior. Over time and with practice, that good feeling will become the best motivator you can ask for. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want to feel better more often.
Everyone deserves to feel good, but not everyone knows how to get there. Start small, get clear, create a plan to help you get there and follow through consistently one day at a time. Because change doesn’t happen over night and isn’t linear, allow slips to occur without judgement. Learn from what doesn’t work and apply it to a renewed commitment to achieving what you are working towards as you move forward.
Good luck and know that you are worth it.
Author: Mary Roncarelli
