I wish I would win the lottery. Everyone has thought about being the big jack pot winning and what it would mean if they did. But, winning the lottery is a wish not a goal. A goal is a long term objective that you plan for and take steps to achieve. So do you have a health wish or goal. Wishing to lose 50lbs or to stop smoking is much like buying lottery tickets, its a long shot and unlikely to happen. A goal requires more effort than going to the local convenience store and buying a ticket. But by establishing a goal you are much more likely to achieve it. If you have a goal to be healthier and you know you need to address some lifestyle changes how do you move from a wish to a goal. The first step is to recognize that something needs to be done and to understand the reasons why. Firmly establish why it is important to reach a health goal. Its not good to just say “I need to lose 50lbs” (or whatever the health goal is). You have to think about the purpose of the goal. I need to lose weight to get my blood pressure under control and reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Once you have a goal established don’t try and achieve it overnight. The necessary lifestyle changes will take time to incorporate. Expecting to much too soon will lead to disappointment and eventually you will give up. Be realistic about the timeline and breakdown it down to incremental steps. If you need to change your diet, incorporate one healthy thing instead of doing a dramatic shift that you will struggle with to maintain. Instead of taking something away add something like I will eat a serving of vegetables with every meal. Do it with positive steps and don’t beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon, just get back on. You will need to be resilient. If you slipped up think about why and try to avoid those circumstances again. When you hit a milestone, recognize your good work and commit to doing it again. Think about what you are going to do today not tomorrow or next week or next month, what are going to do today to make sure you stay on track to reach the goal. Remember this is not wishing this is taking actionable steps to make a change in your life that will make you a healthier happier person which in the end is really hitting the jack pot.
Categories: Health