Investing in Yourself and Your Health

The new year brings with it the opportunity to start fresh. January 1st, for many, acts as a blank slate; a day filled with opportunity to form new, healthy habits! Today’s blog post is all about investing in yourself and your health. Whenever a new iPhone, kitchen gadget or Apple watch hits the market, we rarely hesitate to spend the $400 -$900 necessary to have the next best thing. Yet, when it comes to our health we often hesitate to invest. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean we fail to spend a paycheck on a new gym membership or a meal plan, but it does mean that many of these actions are taken as a quick fix to form new habits. We later realize that the hard work isn’t spending the money, it’s taking the time to prioritize exercise, a balanced diet and stress management in our life in the same way we prioritize work, friends and family.

So why is it that when it comes to other things in our lives, we have no problem spending hours late at the office but aren’t willing to take the time to meal prep or attend that exercise class? Why are healthy habits so hard to maintain? Well, just like any habit, it takes time to make them stick. Many times we give up too early for the habit to ever completely form. It’s also important to think about why exercise and a balanced diet are important to you. if you’ve made them a goal for the new year (and maybe previous years), there must be a reason. Identifying the underlying motivation that drives you to set the goal in the first place can be a great starting point to sustaining the goal long-term. This motivation is what we should tap into when life gets challenging and we want to give up.

For example, when we think about work, our motivations vary from person to person. For some, work is a way to make money so they can do the things they want like travel, eat out at new restaurants, or buy a home. For others, their work truly gives them a sense of purpose in the world and they are motivated by the opportunity to bring about change. So you see, whether it be for the sole purpose of doing things outside of work or impacting the world around us, there is a lot of motivation that drives us to go into the office everyday. The key to prioritizing your health is identifying that underlying motivation to move your body and nourish it with healthy foods day in and day out. When we do this, it allows us to see our health in the same way we see our work. We would typically never say that work deadline is really important but I’m gonna push it a week, month or half a year out before I start. So why do we push back our wellness goals?

This year I challenge you to think critically about why the goals you want to accomplish in the new year are so important to you. You may discover that they really aren’t and that means setting a new goal OR they may shed light on that underlying motivation that you can rely on when life gets busy. The other key to creating sustainable goals is to start small. Be realistic with what existing demands you have and what you are doing right now. Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean you have to do a complete 180. This all or nothing mentality puts you at high risk of burnout early on, which means giving up on your goals a month or two into the year. Instead, focus on what is realistic given your work, family and social life. Maybe instead of going from working out not at all to 5x/week you work towards 5 times long-term and shoot for 2-3 times to start. Instead of trying to meal prep all your meals every week when you’ve previously eaten out every day, start with meal prepping 1 meal and working towards all three. Realistic, small goals are key to creating a sustainable lifestyle. Consider where you fall within the Stages of Change and what it will take on your part, what sacrifices you need to make, in order to move from one stage to another and maintain your new habits 3, 6, and 12 months from January 1st.

Last but not least, identify reliable support systems. Whether that be signing up to work with a dietitian at Perform for Life, or talking about your goals with friends and family, it’s important to have people in your life that can hold you accountable when your internal accountability starts to wane. Ask a friend to be your workout buddy, take a walk with a coworker at lunch or even meal prep with a family member. Plus, if a coworker, friend or family member have similar goals, they can also offer relatability to the challenges that come with forming new habits and changing your lifestyle! All in all, start small and reach out to those you care about and you’ll be on your way to creating a healthy lifestyle you can sustain until January 1 2021.