Take these 5 Steps
The best way to make a change is to find the tools that are right for you!
As we transition from year to year, we create new goals, and identify the things that we want to do differently. Let’s begin a cycle of creating the new habits that will make us better. We do this by changing the way we perceive time, from a yearly focus to a series of mini cycles.
All of our experiences, prior to this very moment, are the result of our old thoughts and habits. So how do we create new and better thoughts and habits? We put ourselves on a 21-day cycle and concentrate on Five Transformative Steps. After 21 days we will create a new lifestyle.
THE 21-DAY CYCLE:
Twenty-one Days refers to 21 consistent days within your chosen fitness Plan. Do something! We are not referring to 21 days of working out back-to-back each day. In addition, we are not referring to 21 consecutive calendar days. For instance, if you commit to working out three times a week, a 21-day plan would span a 7-week period (i.e. 3 days per week, times 7 weeks, equals a 21-day workout.) After 21 days, we create a new habit. Many times, individuals will try to get their 21 days in a row, but that is sometimes unachievable. It may actually be too much activity, especially when the individual has not been exercising, or hasn’t been involved in any exercise plan. Without proper guidance and pacing, the individual may find that they feel too overwhelmed and stop working out altogether.
Slow and steady wins the race. We sometimes try to take on too much too soon. We throw out ALL of the bad foods in of our refrigerators and begin a workout regimen of running in the morning, lifting weights in the evening, and reducing our eating to one salad a day! Know this, a healthy lifestyle of fitness and nutrition is a lifetime effort. We want lifestyle changes, so take the pressure off of yourself. Relax, and develop a consistent plan for making changes in your personal life. Take one step at a time by committing to something very simple, like walking 30 minutes a day, three times a week. After a few weeks, you can re-evaluate and you may want to increase the walk to 45 minutes or do something different. When starting out, keep it simple.
5 TRANSFORMATIVE STEPS:
Step 1 - in this moment, choose, no, decide, that wellness and good health are a priority for you.
Step 2 - make a commitment. Make a pledge or promise to yourself that you are going to do something.
Step 3 - you must have belief. We have to believe that what we are doing, as far as our exercise and our wellness, will lead us to success. It will benefit us. It will give us results. But we have to believe that we are capable of reaching our specific goals.
Step 4 - Get it done and keep going! No excuses! We have a tendency to wake up some mornings and say, “You know, I don’t feel like it today.” Sometimes, it’s not about how you feel, it’s about your commitment and your purpose. So get up and get it done. Make no excuses.
Remember, a 21-day cycle creates a new habit. If you’re committed to walking three times a week, you’re looking at making a seven-week commitment to yourself. After seven weeks of dedication to yourself and your fitness plan, you will see results. Now we have reached the fifth and final component.
Step 5 - Re-calibrate, step it up. This is the time to re-calibrate or re-evaluate your progress and start creating more specific goals to reach. You’re now in the habit of making wellness a commitment, and you’re doing it. Now, you might pledge to lose 10 pounds and you can create a plan for this process with the same four concepts described above: choosing, being committed, believing and doing.
The process above, allows you to perform in a cyclical manner. There is no before and there is no after. There is only right now! Time is not an issue. Let 21 Days to Ultimate Health and Wellness assist you with your lifestyle change. You’ll be working with yourself for the rest of your life, and with the Transformative Steps above; your only option is success!