Recommitting To Your Resolutions

Have you already given up on your New Years resolutions to get healthy, exercise more, eat better, quit smoking or cut down a bit on the wine? If so, you're not alone. The gyms are emptying out again and most have gone back to their life prior to January 1. Not that many years ago I was 100 pounds overweight, smoking and enjoying the bubbly a bit more than is recommended. As for exercising, my idea of an aerobic workout was sitting up in bed to read a book. My transformation into the healthy woman I am today has been an incredible journey. I don't have a magic formula but I've learned a few things during the 10 years that I've maintained my new lifestyle that have worked for me. Here are 3 strategies to refocus your energy and recommit to your health in 2004:

•  Keep trying.

We're impatient and want the “immediate gratification” thing. We set ourselves up by expecting too much. Quick fixes don't work and they don't last. Losing 20 pounds in a month or exercising 7 times a week isn't realistic. Changing lifelong patterns and habits takes time and commitment. So get back in the game and set a realistic goal. Try losing 2 pounds a month (that's 24 pounds by the end of the year) by increasing your daily intake of fruits and vegetables and taking several 10 minute walking breaks throughout your day.

•  Redefine exercise .

Exercise has become a negative word. It's now a “have to”, and a “should”. But really it's just about moving your body more. I recently met a healthy, vibrant 84 year old woman and when I asked the secret to her vitality she merely said “keep moving.” An easy way is to incorporate activity into what you're already doing each day. Challenge yourself to park further away, take the stairs, go the long way. If joining the gym is a waste of money, buy a good pedometer and for one week record how many steps you take each day. Don't increase your steps until week 2. Then boost your daily average by 20% until you've reached at least 10,000 steps. It's the little things that add up over time. To find out more about this program visit www.shapeup.org/10000steps.html

•  Change the way you talk.

We create our life, our reality by what we think and say. We walk around saying things like, “I'm always tired, there's not enough time, I hate to exercise, I'll never lose this weight.” And so it is. We reap what we sow. What are you saying to and about yourself that reinforces what you don't want? Instead ask yourself “what do I really want and begin to say it as if it's already true. Ten years ago when I began saying “I'm an active, energetic woman who loves to exercise regularly”, it was hard for me to keep a straight face. And now I am one. Write down 5 facts that represent the healthy you, the one you want to become. If I had to pick only one key to my success, it would be this one. When you change your mind, you'll change your life.

And last but not least, you're already doing some positive things that contribute to your health and well-being. Figure out what those patterns are and begin to build on what's already working for you. Now it's time to recommit to making 2004 your year to focus on and commit to getting healthy!

Please feel free to pass on this information. For more on how coaching can help you reach your personal and professional goals, visit my website www.coachsandrawright.com.

"How would your life be different if you learned how to love and respect your body as though it were your own precious creation, as valuable as a beloved friend or child? --Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Sandra Wright, Executive & Personal Coach

"Partnering with those ready to create a significant change in their personal and professional lives."

PO Box 1852
Gig Harbor , WA . 98335
253.857.8602
Email:sandra@coachsandrawright.com
www.coachsandrawright.com