A quick excerpt I enjoyed reading from My Fit Foods in their Tip of the Week. Love their quick, to the point suggestions on living a healthier, happier lifestyle. It motivates me...and I'm all about being motivated after a crazy 2012 4th quarter and busy Christmas!
Be "un-perfect".
That may be the best made up word and New Year’s resolution ever! Perfection is a trap. If you wait until the situation/weather/way you feel is perfect then you will find precious days and years will pass you by. Now is the time to dance in the rain. So many times in life, we want to wait until the storm passes until we make a change, start something new or just enjoy life. You are in control of the choices in your life, and now is the best time to start achieving your goals.
Here are 5 simple ways to start making the most out of life!
- Put your mind to it. Believe…such a simple word with so much power! Think of your brain as fertile soil and your words and thoughts as seeds. When you plant positive thoughts and beliefs, just like seeds, that is what grows. Plant a tomato seed, grow a tomato. Negative thoughts and self-doubt act as weeds that can sabotage. Each day, visualize your goals and believe you can achieve them. "I am the greatest of all time." Muhammad Ali said that thousands of times, and millions of people agree he was the greatest of all time. He began that journey by telling himself first, and so can you.
- Take action each day to form new habits. If you decide that workouts are going to happen before work each morning, then schedule it like a business appointment. Each time you perform that action, it starts to become part of a routine. Consistent routine then forms habit. Picture this:… a 3 year old that had to get him or herself ready for school in the morning. Alarm goes off and BAM! The race against time starts! Spring out of bed, teeth brushed, shower, hair, breakfast, news/traffic report, and off. Not likely, right? For a 3 year old, heck, the process of just getting dressed in the morning without crying is sometimes an accomplishment! But over time as we get older getting ready in the morning becomes simply “our routine.” In starting new things, you sometimes can feel like that overwhelmed 3 year old just trying to get your pant leg on, but as you take action and stick with it, everything will simply fall into line…into your routine.
- Label your actions in two categories: Goal achieving & Stress Relieving. Goal achieving activities are productive and move you closer to your goal and success. Stress relieving activities (such as binging on junk food, gossiping, t.v., procrastination, and excessive alcohol consumption) all feel good at the moment, but waste time and derail you from long term success. Make sure all your actions are goal achieving!
- 30 seconds of willpower. You ever notice that it is typical only “moments of weakness” that can start to unravel you. Practice 30 seconds of will power to say no, distract yourself or find a healthy, goal achieving activity to keep on course.
- Plan ahead. In the battle of hunger and the bag of tortilla chips – the chips will always win. Be prepared for the day with your meals and snacks that will keep you on track and feeling great. Eat every 2-3 hours starting with a protein based breakfast.