What I learned about making changes in 2015

Ah, the New Year.  It’s always so clean and clear and full of promise.  Everywhere, it seems, folks are making resolutions, setting goals and declaring promises to themselves.  I’m all for new beginnings. And the New Year seems like a great place to start.  The key, however, is making your new goals and life changes ACHIEVABLE.  Making them HAPPEN.

Now I’m no pro, but I did learn a few things about making changes in 2015.
Most importantly, if you want to make a change you need to be honest with yourself.  Is it really something you are inspired to change or something you THINK you should change?  In other words, you need to really want it.  No change is easy and reaching goals requires sacrifice and discipline (some more than others).  Anyone can buy those workout DVDs or go to the grocery store and get a cartload of healthy food.  It takes discipline and daily choices to actually do the workouts and actually eat the healthy food.  Which takes me to my next point…

Write it down and break it down.  Write down your goal.  Post it on the fridge, your wall, your bedside table, your bathroom mirror.  Commit to it.  Then break your goal down into smaller achievable bits.  If your goal is to eat more healthy, then maybe you start with healthy breakfast and snack choices for a few weeks and then work on healthier dinners.  If meal prepping is overwhelming, start with just prepping snacks.  Then once that becomes comfortable, move on to lunches or breakfast.

Take action towards your goal DAILY.  This doesn’t mean you are “doing” your goal every day or that you are “reaching” your goal every day.  Just do something that gets you closer to your goal daily.  Taking these baby steps is where the magic happens.  If being fit is your goal, make the choice each day to move your body. Thinking about getting in a long workout every day can be overwhelming.  Don’t think about tomorrow or the next day.  Make the choice to move your body TODAY.  Wake up tomorrow and make the same choice.  If eating well is your goal, make a better food choice each day.  Beginning each day by thinking “I’m going to eat perfectly all day” can be intimidating.  Starting by saying “I will eat more nutritious snacks today” is a bit more manageable. And then make the choice to eat some carrot sticks instead of the cookies or chips.

Work on it.  It’s not going to be perfect.  No one makes the best, most perfect choices all the time.  It takes work.  Be realistic with yourself.  And if you find you’re not making those daily choices towards your goal, don’t give up entirely.  Wake up tomorrow and make taking a step towards that goal your JOB.  Because in the end it will be worth it.

Health and Happiness,

Cerissa