but you are feeling overwhelmed by the thought…

The Best Time to Start is…

Today we’re going to talk about how to get started on a health journey because it can feel crazy, overwhelming! But, I want you to know that there is no perfect time to create a health journey. There’s not an ideal time laid out that will make it any easier. It only becomes easy after it’s a lifestyle. So, if you’re hearing things on social media or elsewhere and you’re thinking, I know, I know, I know I need to do it. I’m just stuck or I have to get a plan or wait until after this weekend. If this sounds like you, just know that it doesn’t have to be a perfect plan and a perfect time. Start with one small thing today and each day those small healthy choices will become habits and then they will start compounding into huge health benefits. 

Where do I start?

Hopefully, this will help you get that foot in that forward position enough to make some momentum. So here’s my tip. Often, struggle to start a new health journey because we think of where we need to be. And that’s a big picture that is really far from where you are and can feel overwhelming. To make that moment less intimidating, take your vision and put it somewhere on paper, a whiteboard, or something.  For example, let’s take the goal of wanting to sleep better so you have more energy to wake up by six a.m. And you’re too tired to do that now. Whatever that vision for you is, whether it’s health-related or even weight-related, put it down somewhere. And then under that goal, create three action steps you can take to help you get there. And those action steps need to be very reachable, something you can literally start today. So for example, if your goal is to wake up at six a.m. because then you would have time to work out or have time to make a healthy breakfast, or pack a healthy lunch. Then what are three action steps you can take to help you meet that big, intimidating goal? 

1 Small Action Over Time = HUGE CHANGE

We talk about goals all the time. We talk about it, but typically we choose things that we can’t actually implement today. We think about how much needs to change, get overwhelmed, and end up putting it off. Let’s change that and think of one tiny thing we could do today. So maybe that is to get off social media an hour or two before bed. You can do that tonight and that’s one action step to help you help you feel tired and fall asleep sooner. That melatonin needs a dark, calm, soothing atmosphere to really start producing in your body. Once that melatonin hits, you’re going to feel more tired. But typically we can’t do that in front of a screen.

Or maybe you want to start eating healthier but that seems intimidating because then you have to prep and you have to grocery shop and you have to meal plan. Break it down smaller. Start with one meal, say lunch. Then choose one small thing you could change about your lunch. Maybe it’s as simple as adding one vegetable to what you’re already eating. Or maybe you’ve been eating a turkey, cheese, and mayo sandwich for lunch and you are going to start by swapping out the mayo for red pepper hummus. Whatever it is, make sure it’s small and easy to implement right away. Then after a while, when you feel ready, make one more small change. Grow that little by little and before you know it, your whole lunch will be healthy! You’ll realize your lunch will be more vegetable-heavy than it’s ever been because you implemented just this one little action. Also, think about how fast time flies by. It seems like it was just the 4th of July and I blinked and now it’s already August… Imagine if back in July you started making these small changes. By now you’d have made huge progress! SO, start today! And in a short month, it will be school starting and you’ll be looking back thinking, where did August go?! 

 So I hope that’s helpful. I hope you can take all of your big, wonderful health dreams and just build up some momentum because that is what’s going to keep you going to move forward in your health journey. All right everybody have a wonderful day and always enjoy the journey!