The beginning of a new year is typically marked by goals and decisions to live a healthier lifestyle.
Most of us create resolutions to workout more, to manage our money better, to eat healthier, or drink more water. We set goals and create actionable steps to meet those goals. Again, all in an effort to lead a healthier lifestyle.
What I’ve found over the years though is that if I don’t prep my environment, my products, and my mindset beforehand, I am simply not as successful. Part of setting yourself up for success is realizing what doesn’t work for you and your lifestyle and what does. Another part is investing in tools to help you achieve your goals.
While your specific goals for the new year may look different than mine, I have no doubt we’re all desiring a healthier lifestyle. After all, aren’t we all a constant work in progress?
7 Ways to Set Yourself Up For a Healthier Lifestyle:
1. Plan Ahead –
Planning ahead is key to success. Whether it’s a fitness goal or a work-related goal, if I don’t plan ahead, I am way less likely to stay committed to my goal. I love setting a goal and date to achieve it and then working backward in my calendar to plan actionable steps to achieve that goal. My favorite planner is the life planner by Erin Condren. I’ve used it for years and love it! I also just ordered this planner from Faithful Rhythms to be more intentional about my days and prayer life.
2. Journal –
Whether you keep a prayer journal or a journal to express gratefulness or your feelings, journaling is such a great tool for success. One of the things I started doing in 2020 was brain dumping. I would use journals to get all of my thoughts out in one dump and then organize them. Sometimes putting your thoughts into writing helps you better define your goals. It helps to clarify what’s on your mind and put your thoughts and feelings into actions. There are so many great journals out there, but I’ve been using these lately.
3. Commit to an Active Lifestyle –
Being active is so beneficial for our bodies and our minds. My biggest advice is to determine what works for you and your lifestyle. For me it’s at-home workouts (Fitt cycle) and workouts that provide mental clairity (running). I don’t have a lot of free time, so anything I can do to be active in or around my home is key. I do love group classes though, so I use ClassPass to sprinkle in some social classes when I have time to spare!
4. Stay Hydrated –
This seems like such a no-brainer thing to suggest, but it’s so important and so easy to forget! Getting enough water helps all kinds of things – your physcial appearance, your skin, your eating habits, you name it! If I don’t have a water bottle in my hand, I simply don’t get enough water. So, the last couple of years I’ve sworn by my Pogo bottle. It’s 32 ounces and has a chugger lid, so you get a ton per sip. It’s so easy to drink 3-4 bottles a day!
5. Track Your Progress –
This is a tricky subject. I hate getting on a scale for mental reasons, but I do recommend finding some sort of way to measure physical progress. The past year or so I’ve leaned more on tracking progress by my measurements. However, in the past 6 months, we’ve been using this Bluetooth Smart Scale (only $29), and it’s amaaaazing! It measures your weight, your BMI, your body fat %, your water %, and more! It also syncs with an app on your phone so it’s easy to track your progress. I highly recommend it!
6. Find an Accountability Partner –
No matter what your goal is, having an accountability partner will do wonders for you! You can have more than one accountability partners, too! I have women that are my fitness accountability partners and my walking buddies and I also have women who hold me accountable spiritually.
7. Clear Out The Clutter –
There’s a reason people say “out with the old, in with the new.” Any time I set a new goal, I clear out the things that became clutter, the things that were holding me back or proving to be road blocks in my journey toward a healthier lifestyle. Nutrition-wise it might be something like a candy drawer or processed chips. Fitness-wise, it may be something like old fitness clothes that no longer fit your body. These items will be different for each of us, but I highly recommend getting rid of excess, stripping down to the bare bones, and moving forward!
