Where are you in the change process? Do you find yourself wistfully wondering how those other people do it? What does being healthy mean to you? Perhaps your doctor has informed you that you are in danger of becoming diabetic. Or maybe your doctor told you that, because of your continuing low back pain, you must lose weight.
It is scary when our health care provider gives us an ultimatum. What we may not realize at the time, however, is that this wake- up call can be the starting point to a conversation with our own self. Along with recognizing reasons to change versus reasons to stay the same (see previous post), we can begin the process of aligning what we value most with the changes we need to make.
Once we start thinking about change, we become open to possibilities. Here are examples of goals that can help move you in the direction toward change:
- Recalling past successful experiences the areas of health, fitness or wellness.
- Committing to seeking out resources on nutrition, fitness or other wellness topics (get educated!).
- Defining core values that govern how you live your life.
- Thinking about what living a healthy life may look and feel like. Picture it in your mind.
- Imagining a wellness vision – how you see yourself living your best life. Begin the process of writing it down.
These are what we call “thinking and feeling” goals. Notice that there is no “action” involved. These small goals help ready us for more actionable goals in the future. Committing to a daily five-mile walk may just have to wait. We need to be able to experience small successes to positively affect self-efficacy, or our belief that we can be successful.
So where are you in your wellness journey? A certified health and wellness coach can help you define, discover and design a vision of what wellness means to you.
Life is a splendid journey – let’s get going!