Getting Back On Track With Your Health And Wellness Goals

At the beginning of each year, I love to reflect on the past year and start making goals for the New Year. The New Year can be such a great time for a fresh start if you’ve lost sight of your goals and it can be a great time to start something new. But sometimes we are led to think we need to start these goals January 1st or forget about them fully.  I always thought it was go all in on January first or I will start again next year. But now January (over the past few years) has become a grace period for me after the holidays. I use that month to really dig deep into what I want to achieve in the coming year (financial, career, and health and wellness goals).  I use this time to ease my way back into my health, wellness and spiritual routine.I wait to really start achieving my goals until the day after the Superbowl. We all know how crazy the holidays can be.  Picture this: You start off January strong (Whole 30/dry January etc.) and just when you start getting back on your goals, you get invited to a Superbowl party or just a night out with friends and you can’t stay away from the fried foods, dips and chips and cocktails. Then you wake up the next day bloated and feeling like all of your hard work from the past month just went down the toilet. Sound familiar? Girl, I feel the struggle too.December is the month we feel expected to set our goals for the next year. But December is a tough month to start thinking about what you want in the new year. It is so crazy busy that setting intentions can be nearly impossible. And by the time you finally have a minute to set your goals, the holidays are over and suddenly it is January 1st and you feel like you should start a diet and purchase a gym membership (that you’ll never use).  So waiting till after the new year to start thinking about what you want it okay. And this is not to say you can continue eating all of the sweets and other mindless bad habits or that you can’t have any treats after you begin your goals. What I am saying is that using January as a way to ease into your new routine is okay.If you jumped back into your routine or if you are crushing your goals I applaud you. Keep going! But if you haven’t, it is okay and there is always time for you. These are my tips on how I reach my goals. This is what has worked for me. It may not be the same for you. Even if you have already been crushing it this year, there can always be times where you get distracted from your goals. These tips may help you stay on your path or help you back on.1) Journal. Journal about the past year or month or day. Reflect on what happened. The good and bad. Reflect on what worked. Then start journaling about what you want in the new year, month or day. When you write it out it becomes real. When you write out your intentions, it has been proven to give you better chances of success in reaching your goals.2) Meditate on your intentions. Let them sink into your mind. Meditation has so many benefits. And when you meditate on your intentions, you are really showing the universe what you want and how much you want it.3) Calendar/planner/tracker. I used to always buy planners and never use them past January. But scheduling your meals, workouts and activities can actually help more than you think. Not only will it help keep you accountable for your fitness and health, but it will also help you schedule time for you (I'm talking self care and self love). Scheduling time for you is key to achieving your goals. If you can’t seem to make use of a planner, try tracking your meals and workouts (and “you” time). Keeping your self accountable is very important.4) Don’t start a diet. I have always hated the term “diet”. A diet is not a sustainable way of living. And that is why only 8% of people actually achieve their new years resolutions. Easing your way into this new healthy lifestyle can help create a sustainable healthy lifestyle. And that can also help you achieve your goals.5) Share your goals and intentions with loved ones. You can also document your journey via facebook or instagram. It helps to keep you accountable when you have others watching for your success. It can be nerve racking sharing your journey with others (especially on social media). You may be afraid of being annoying, making others feel bad, or simply because you are shy. But people do love to see others achieve their goals. I love seeing transformations on instagram. It is truly amazing what people are capable of.6) What might come with #5 is negative feedback. What you are doing for yourself might not sit well with others and that is okay. Not everyone is going to be 100% behind you. But it is important to not lose sight of your goals when you receive negative feedback. If you believe in what you are doing, that is all that matters.7) When you find yourself in a funk or not sure where to begin, research ideas. Research new recipe ideas and workouts. Try a new health food store and peruse the aisles for new products to try. Try a new workout or new workout studio. Keep things interesting and fresh. It is easy to get bored when you’ve had the same 3 meals and workouts on rotation for the past 30 days. So change it up!8)  Consistency is key to success. Be consistent with how you eat and workout.  When you start treating your body right it will show in how you look and feel. And when you start feeling good you will want to keep going.   You can treat yourself to rest days and pizza days, but be consistent with the healthy habits. When you are consistent, the nights you go out for pizza won’t feel so bad.  It is all about creating a consistent and healthy relationship with food and your body. Once you begin taking care of you, you will begin to see the magic happen!9) Find a role model. You are never too old to have one. Whether it is someone you know or someone off instagram, this can be a major key to success. I have a few people I admire on instagram and it helps me stay on track. Watching others achieve their goals helps me achieve my own. Find someone who seems to share the same value and ideas as you (someone relatable).  When you start to follow their journey, you will begin to take on their good habits that they are sharing. When you see that others are capable of what you want in your life, you will believe it is possible, and you will start to try and do it yourself.10) Don’t let your slip ups get you down. If you’ve been crushing it so far, and you have more than a few treats during the Superbowl weekend, don’t worry, it happens to all of us. What is important is to jump back in and don’t look back. Don’t regret those “bad meals”. Write them in your journal (because being honest with yourself is just as important for success) and move on to the next healthy meal and give your next workout 110%.I lose sight of my goals all of the time. Life happens and you can’t be 100% every single day of the year. Sometimes getting back on track can be hard and I get it! I use these tips every time I get off course (which has been a lot over the past 2 months). These tips work whether it is January 1st or if it is August 10th. It doesn’t matter when it is, life can throw you off track, and hopefully one of these tips help you to get back on. How do you stay consistent with your goals?! Let me know in the comments below!XOXO,Kimmy