We all have aspects of health we want to improve. It could be as simple as increasing your stretching, or as great as starting an exercise program. Regardless of its scope, there is a reason youre not doing it. Although the focus of this article is on health goals, these steps can also be applied to any aspect of your life, personal or professional. I will walk you through 3 steps that are guaranteed to help you achieve a health goal To begin, write down a list of all your health goals. Then, pick one. Now write down all your perceived obstacles to achieving that goal. Include them all! Now, everyone can site lack of time, unable to fit it in, its something they just dont like, its uncomfortable, etc, etc, but if its something you really want to do, I believe anyone can make it happen! What is it that makes one person get up and jog every morning before work, but another person says they cant? It has a lot to do with desire and determination. Its something thats important enough to them that, regardless of obstacles, they fit it in. Think about what the real blocks are to achieving this health goal. Is it something you really want to do, or is it something you should do? If its something you should do for your health, then perhaps looking at all the various options to at least help you get started would be helpful. Lets say youve tried to go out jogging. You hate it; your feet hurt, our joints hurt, its hard, you cant breathe, the weathers too hot or too cold. Theres nothing about it you like and cant imagine anything worse than having to actually do it daily!. What else could you do, then? Make a list of all the things that you think you would ever like to do, even if they dont seem even slightly realistic. This has led us to the next step, which is finding solutions to your block. So, as with the jogger, make that list of all the solutions you can think of to your obstacles. If youre stuck, ask for some outside ideas. This is where a life coach who specializes in health could be an invaluable resource. A coach can give you outside ideas you never considered before. They may also help you see that jogging may be a goal for the future, if its what youd really like to do, but instead of starting now, and hating every minute of it, they could help you devise a plan to build up slowly, starting perhaps with walking, making small, manageable goals along the way.. If its something you really want to do, youll take all steps necessary to finally make it happen! A coach will just help you get there, faster and with more success! Youve now listed various solutions to your obstacle. Now, pick one solution. It has to be a different solution than you have tried in the past. Theres a reason you have not accomplished this goal, previously. If you continue to try the same solutions, youll never overcome the block youve set up. This is why its important to get outside input, such as a coach, for different ideas and different strategies. In fact, studies show that people are much more successful in health goals, such as weight loss, when they worked with a coach who empowered them to do more and achieve more. A coach is an advocate for all your health goals and dreams, but is also there to support you when you fall. Consider this: Even Tiger Woods has a life coach! So, now that you have chosen a solution, how will you implement it? How will you ensure success? You have to share your intentions and you need a plan to carry it out, which is the third and final step. You cant Just do it. If it was that easy, youd already be Doing it! The more people you tell, the more responsible youll feel to carry out your plan. Sit down and put your plan together. Using our jogger, lets say hes decided hell start walking every work day. Just saying, Ill walk every day at work is not enough. He has to determine when, where, how long and plan for the days it wont work, such as rain or extra-long work days. It has to be specific and detailed, with the back-up plan. Our jogger has decided he can commit to a 15 minute walk each work day during lunch, before he eats. Hell put his shoes in his car so he has them every day and hell tell all his co-workers his plan. Some may even eventually join him! He has determined that if the weather is bad, that he can take the time to stop at the indoor mall after work and get that 15 minute walk in before going home. He has his plan! Will it work? It depends on how serious he is. If he doesnt do it, then he knows this isnt the right solution. This can happen, so then its time to go back to the drawing board and pick a new solution. Its ok if the solution doesnt work, as long as he realizes it just means finding a new solution. Perhaps he needs a new, more workable goal! So, take these steps to achieve your health goals: Determine all your goals, choose one to work on at a time. List all the obstacles then determine solutions to those obstacles. Pick one solution, draw up a plan, and tell everyone you can about your plan. Make the plan specific and then stick to it. If its something you really want to achieve, you will do it! |
