Putting Pen to Paper

We're over a week into the new year.  How are things going?  Is it easier than you thought or did you binge yesterday on sugar and fat?  Are you hitting the gym or has the cold weather sapped your energy?  Do you feel you have a strong plan or are things falling apart at the seams?  If you are stumbling, it's time to write it down.

There is something more real, more concrete, about things in writing.  It doesn't have to be fancy, no new journal needed, it just has to be kept.  This won't be disposable, not until you are done.  So the back of an old envelope probably isn't going to cut it.  But a simple piece of notebook paper from the kids will.

This scrawling will help keep you on track and is something you can look back on frequently.  Keep it in a place of importance, it will be a mental reminder that YOU are a priority for yourself now. 

Now it's time to figure out your personal style.  What has and hasn't worked for you in the past?  Taking these things into account is very important.  If it hasn't worked in the past, it won't work this time either.

Here are a few ideas:

Keep it simple.  Write down your goal weight, then write down month to month what you plan to lose.  And finally a goal date.

Make a list.  Step by step, how you plan to make your healthy lifestyle successful.  Your overall exercise and eating plan would fit nicely here.

Go visual.  Use pictures to motivate you - what your rewards will be for successes, what you want to look like when you are done or a warm body that makes you want to workout.

Gerard Butler, my warm body

Scotland, my reward

A smaller me

Do it every week.  Instead of laying out a year or 18 months, some people need to focus on now.  Pick a day of the week and use it to map the week to come, each week.

Put it on the wall.  Often it helps if you see your goal every day.  A lot of people put it on their refrigerator, that can be a bit daunting.  But you can put it somewhere else you look at least two or three times a day.

Journal it.  This is a daily look at what you plan to do.  It can be on paper or maybe it's filling out your food journal in advance of the day, making it more likely you will stay on task.

Blog it.  Obviously I do this.  It's a chance to not only put goals out there, but connect with other people on a similar journey.

Hopefully one of those work for you.  Of course, that's just a smattering of ideas.  There are many other ways to chart your course to success.  Whatever you choose, I know you will succeed.

Yours in Health,
Kate