Summer is almost here and the lighter evenings & warmer weather makes this a good time for you to jump start your fitness for 2011.
Make some time for yourself to lighten up in December.
MIND: turn off the chatter in your head by focusing on breathing deeply into your belly Feel what's happening inside your body and notice how as you focus on a particular area of your body, you are able to release any tension with your breath.
BODY: go for a brisk walk in the park, down the street, at the beach, anywhere in nature where you can feel the sun on your skin.
SPIRIT: visit with friends, share laughter &good times with people you care about.
Decide to bring a lighter spirit to your next encounter with a 'difficult person', not for them but for yourself.
Most of all, love & care for yourself as if you were your best friend.
Do you sometimes feel you don't accomplish what you set out to do?
You start with great intentions and somehow they fall by the wayside after a day or two?
Can you imagine yourself having achieved your goal and feel the great feelings that accompany that achievement?
If getting off track with your goal has been a problem for you in the past, I recommend following a step by step approach with a plan you can measure.
Mini-goals leading you to your main goal will keep you enthusiastic about the process, rather than feeling overwhelmed by slow progress or trying to do too much as once.
Your goal needs to be about action: wanting to lose 10kg is not an action, but the meal planning and exercise schedule you will follow to get there, certainly is.
An effective goal will be both attainable and challenging: you CAN do it but you're not doing it right now, so small changes will reap big rewards as they become habits in your everyday life.
Your goal needs to be framed in a positive way: our brains respond far better to doing things rather than avoiding or restricting things, so work with your brain and feel good about what you're doing.
Having a time-limited and measurable goal is the only way to stay on track: having a time-limit helps you bring a sense of urgency to your goal, rather than an "oh that, yes, I'll get around to it soon" kind of attitude and measuring your progress regularly shows you just how well your efforts are paying off.
Finally, and this is the most important step WRITE IT DOWN!
The difference between a goal and an idea is an ACTION PLAN.
Rather than just talking about it or thinking about it, writing down your goal forces you to be very specific about the action you are taking and gives you a plan to follow along the way.
Refer to your goal regularly and revise if necessary so you are in charge of each step of your progress and proud of your results.
Stay positive and remind yourself of why you set this goal in the first place. Life's too short to spend it wishing your life was different - get out there and make it real!
Spending time with a good friend recently, we found ourselves laughing so hard that we couldn't speak, could barely breathe and had tears streaming down our faces - it was wonderful!
I realised I haven't laughed like this for such a long time and that I don't really think very much about scheduling "fun" into each day - this has to change.
Being busy taking care of other people can sometimes leave us with little time or energy to allow ourselves to have fun, but it is important that we remember what brings us pleasure and make time for it.
If you have small people in your life, learn from them; they remember what you've forgotten.
Kids know how to jam as much fun as they can into each day and really can make anything into a game, let them show you how you can laugh a little more and stress a little less.
Whether it's being around your favourite people, taking time out with a great book, wearing something sparkly to do the supermarket shopping, or spending time in nature, think about what it is for you and include more of it in your life each week.
So what's your fun-plan for this week?
