Hope you had a lovely holiday break and are all relaxed, refreshed and excited to enter another brand-new year. This New Year, make this the year to achieve your wellness goals.
I am sure you have many goals, some big and some small, and what's important is that you get started in taking daily action towards these.
For many, their big goal is to lose weight and to look and feel better. However, when you've tried this in the past by making some changes, you find that you aren't as consistent or committed as you would want to be. And then, when you don't see the weight go down, you feel like giving up. This is because you tied all your goals to the weighing scales.
Weight loss goals are important, but you also need to consider other goals, such as your energy levels, mood and sleep, since these affect your weight loss goal.
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Break down your big goal into smaller doable steps and make the weight loss journey enjoyable because if you're having fun with what you're doing, you will always look forward to it and fit it into your life. However, it feels like a chore if it is too difficult, time-consuming or tedious, and you look for excuses.
S - Specific/Significant
M - Measurable/Meaningful
A - Achievable/Attainable
R - Relevant/Realistic
T - Timely/Trackable
An example of a SMART goal is to fit a walk into your routine, as it is better to be consistent with what you do rather than sporadically using the gym and then feel guilty that you wasted money.
SMART fitness goal: Walk daily for 15 minutes (or longer if you can). Then over time, challenge yourself and increase the speed and time you walk.
And if you are currently eating junk food, you can apply this to have a healthy snack, which can be homemade or bought. Please don't put too much pressure on yourself if you're busy and haven't got time to make everything from scratch.
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SMART snack goal: Eat one piece of fresh fruit daily.
Make some time to write your big goals, then think of the SMART goals that will get you there.
Sujata Din is a Certified Health Coach and Certified Professional Cancer Coach. In this regular column for iGlobal, she offers some special insights, from useful wellness tips to recipes for creations that are not only delicious but also healthy.
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