Do you ever feel as though you’d like to improve your health and wellbeing, but don’t know where to start?
We’re all inundated with advertising that offers the latest ‘secret’ to wellbeing.
It can be overwhelming trying to decide what to do first.
Many companies tell us that their product is the ‘secret’.
But wellbeing is not about one thing – it’s a combination of many things that we have as habits in our lives.
I’ve discovered that many people want to improve their lives, but don’t take the time to make a plan towards achieving it.
In fact, over 95% of the population never achieve their goals.
Have you ever said, “One day I will start looking after myself better”?
Unfortunately, one day never seems to come.
We can get so caught up in looking at all the things we have to do and all our responsibilities that we can forget to stop and look up from our busy lives.
We put off taking care of ourselves for a day in the future.
When we look up and truly ‘take stock’ of where we’re at, we can see where we’re heading and whether we’ve drifted off course a bit.
Firstly, remember that no matter how hard you’ve tried in the past, no matter how many different strategies you’ve tried, it is never too late.
The past does NOT equal the future – unless you choose to stay there.
It doesn’t matter where you are starting.
You CAN experience incredible wellbeing. You absolutely have the power to change and there are no limits; except the limits that you place on yourself.
It’s all about taking simple steps regularly until they become habits.
Here’s a great quote about habits…
“Success is a few simple disciplines practised every day. Simple things can turn everything around. Bring in some easy disciplines that gather momentum and each one inspires another discipline.” – Jim Rohn
The 5 steps I’ve outlined below are success actions that you can take to start improving your wellbeing straight away.
These steps have been tried and tested and when followed, they take you from “One day I’ll…” to “Today I will!”
5 Steps to Achieving Your Wellbeing Goals:
1. Write down your goals
Focusing on the ultimate result you want to achieve can really help you get through any hard times.
A good first question to ask is “How is my wellbeing right now?”
Secondly, ask yourself “What’s my goal for experiencing ultimate wellbeing?”
Imagining what you want and then creating goals to get there is the starting point to success.
If you don’t know clearly and specifically what you want, it’s like starting to build a house without any idea of what you want the finished product to look like.
When creating your goals, make sure they are doable, exciting and attached to your ‘why’.
The greater the reasons you have for wanting the goals, the more likely you’ll be to achieve them.
Once you’ve written your goals, put them where you can see them daily to motivate you.
For example; by your bed, near your bedroom door, on your bathroom mirror, on a screensaver, on your phone and laptop and on the fridge.
The more you see them, the more mindful you will be of them.
2. Create visual motivation
There’s a law in psychology which says that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking.
If you don’t already have an ‘ideal’ in mind, then you could start by finding inspiration from accessible means.
For example, you could find some pictures or descriptive character words, perhaps from a magazine or the Internet (www.pinterest.com is an excellent site) that you will look at daily to help reinforce your goals.
You could even print them out and put them in at least two places where you can see them often – e.g. fridge, wallet, bedroom wall.
Alternatively, you may want to dig out an old photo of yourself when you were in the ultimate state of wellbeing.
This can evoke positive emotions and inspire you to make great choices.
3. Keep track of your progress
In order to see your progress, first, you need to decide how you will keep track of it.
Will you do a daily or weekly check-in of your energy levels?
Will you use an app to record your daily wellbeing habits?
Are you more motivated by a tick chart you keep on your wall or fridge?
4. Create your action plan
Tony Robbins says:
”It is not the dreamers who succeed. It is the man or the woman who can get themselves to take consistent action in the direction of their goals who succeed.”
Creating an action plan, before you start, is crucial to your success.
Write times in your diary for when you will take the daily winning actions you need to take to elevate your wellbeing.
You can adjust your plan to suit what is going on in your life each week. If you don’t put it in your diary, it’s too easy to forget to do it.
For example, when will you…
1. Plan your meals and movement
2. Read and visualise your goals
3. Review what’s working and adjusting accordingly
Start simple, by planning your actions for just one week, and see how it works for you.
5. Enlist your support crew
Behaviour change can be challenging and having support can make the world of difference.
For best results, you need to make sure you have people in your life who are going to support you in the changes you’re making.
Sometimes we can find this support in our family and our friends, sometimes we need to find it in other ways – like online groups, or with a Coach, Counsellor or Mentor.
It’s important to know who can help you in your quest for better wellbeing.
Remember: you become like the people you associate with.
Choose who you listen to. Everyone has an opinion on what’s right and wrong when it comes to wellbeing, so choose your accountability wisely.
If you tell the right people your goals, then you are effectively setting yourself up for a win. It’s so helpful to have people around you who bring out the best in you.
Surround yourself with supportive and positive people who will cheer you on and champion you to not only start the journey but to keep going.
Are you feeling fatigued or burnt out?
Do you find stress from your relationships difficult to navigate?
Do you find yourself with unhealthy habits that you want to change?
My upcoming ‘Elevate Your Wellbeing‘ Workshop on October 24th, shows you how to navigate the tough stuff of life, develop a constructive and flexible mindset, and bring you back to a beautiful state of health, happiness, and wellbeing.
It helps you get out of your head, to stop thinking about what you need to do and gives you the capacity to JUST DO IT.
You’ll learn how to train your brain to stop procrastinating. You’ll discover the power that’s hidden inside of you, that will enable you to START, TAKE ACTION and maintain a new YOU.
Learning these important lessons in life has truly been a gift to me. I’d love to share them with you!