5 Steps in Reclaiming Your Goals

Your intentions have been good. Deciding to change yourself, really committing to be a better person in some way, is not a decision arrived at easily. The fact that you’ve decided to make a change means that you’ve taken stock in yourself. You’ve reflected. What if you haven’t met your goals? You are not perfect and all-powerful. Self-change is hard, so it’s not surprising if you don’t get it right the first time. Stop feeling bad and follow these steps:

1. Tell yourself, "it's okay".  But don't given in and think "it's okay, I don't need to be better."  If changing wasn't so important, why did you decide to do it in the first place?
2. Congratulate yourself on wanting to be better.  Your decision to be better takes moral courage.
3. Figure out what went wrong.  Were you too ambitious?  Was your plan to vague?
4. Form a new plan that is informed by your failure.  For example, if you are the wrong foods because preparing healthy one took too long, find ways to make it less time consuming.
5. Finally, GET GOING!

Making changes in your lifestyle is difficult.  Learning to forgive yourself is equally as difficult.  Pick yourself up, set your mind on the goals you set out to achieve.  And get your motivation back.  Set backs will happen, but keep focused on the bigger and brighter future you have planned for yourself!

Commit to Working with a Wellness Coach

A wellness coach will help you determine the areas of your lifestyle, attitudes and behaviors that you are most motivated to change, help you create a wellness action plan to create the necessary change, and then motivate you and keep you accountable for reaching your goals of increased health and well-being.

Working with a wellness coach might very well be your first big step toward becoming healthier and feeling better. This may very well help you build the confidence that you need to make the changes in your lifestyle that you know need to happen in order to regain and maintain good health.

Wellness coaching has made great strides in the past few years and appears to be poised to play a prominent role in the new culture of wellness. Sometimes wellness coaching is referred to as life coaching or personal coaching as well.

After you have worked with a coach for a while and feel a level of comfort and compatibility, explore the idea of setting up a long-term coaching program.

The program may call for more intensive work to begin with, perhaps two coaching sessions per month. After that time you may choose to have one session a month or one every six weeks.   The idea is to create the framework that enables you to receive ongoing coaching.

Working with a wellness coach can keep you motivated and accountable for your agreements to reach your personal wellness goals.

The Key to Affordable Health Care

There is a new cutting edge therapy that lowers the risk of developing the most common and deadly chronic diseases (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease) by up to 80 percent.

This innovative therapy is called “taking care of yourself.“ It involves things such as not smoking, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet of whole foods, sleeping enough, getting sun exposure, reducing stress, and maintaining a healthy weight.

These items are all things that can fit into your normal daily routine. The key to affordable healthcare is disease PREVENTION, not treatment.

What is needed is personal involvement -- YOUR personal involvement -- in the form of commitment to your own health.

With the misconception that healthcare is something people must go out and get by relying on others to make decisions for them, many people claim they can’t afford preventive care. But actually, the question should be: Can you really afford NOT to?

Do not accept disease as part of the aging process. It is not and does not need to be present. If you carefully follow some basic health principles,

• Do not smoke
• Exercise on a regular basis
• Eat whole foods in their natural state
• Get enough restful sleep
• Increase your exposure to the sun to ensure adequate amounts of vitamin D3
• Reduce your stressors
• Maintain a healthy weight

By committing to a healthy lifestyle, you are building a healthy mind and body, and thereby safeguarding yourself against a multitude of health problems and serious diseases.you will drastically reduce your need for conventional medical care. Here are the basics (again):

Starting Off the New Year with You in Mind

“It is never too late to become the person you might have been.”
- George Eliot, English Victorian Novelist

A new year, a fresh start. You have lots of ideals in mind. You are going to do better this year than ever before. You are determined to set goals for yourself and achieve them. But how? What will make this year different from any year in the past?

Here are a few guidelines to make 2011 your year:

1. Commit to Thirty Days - Four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit automatic. When you make it through the initial phase, it becomes much easier. A month is a good block of time to commit to a change since it easily fits in your calendar. 
2. Stay Consistent - The more consistent you are, the easier it will be. If you want to start exercising, try going at the same time, to the same place for your thirty days. When cues like time of day, place and circumstances are the same in each case it is easier to stick.
3. Associate With Role Models - Spend more time with people who model the habits you want to mirror. You become what you spend time around.
4. Use “But” - A great technique for clearing negative thought patterns. When you start to think a negative thought, use the word “but” to interrupt it. “I’m no good at this, but, if I work at it I will get better.”
5. Do it For Yourself - Don’t worry about all the things you “should” have as habits. Instead tool your habits towards your goals and the things that motivate you. Weak guilt and empty resolutions don‘t work.

Whatever changes you implement, do so with your heart. Place your intentions on the person that you want to be and the changes you want to make. Plan your actions, then take that first step. Once you get your momentum going, the rest becomes easier and easier.

Focusing on How Far You Have Come

When working toward your goals, take a step back and think of your success in a whole new way. Try looking at how far you’ve come, not how much you have left to do. Look at your cup as half full, not half empty.

Recognizing and acknowledging your progress gives you the encouragement to try again tomorrow, the next day, and the next. Because you becoming aware of what you’re doing right, you have more confidence that you can do it again.

Appreciating the successes that you have made today makes it easier to succeed the next day as well. If it is something that involves a lot of energy and effort over time, it is especially important to keep appreciating how far you’ve come to this point. This will give you the drive to keep on going.

Self-appreciation is very powerful and motivating. It continues to reinforce the behaviors you want to bring into your being. It tells your mind to do more of this good stuff. So, the next time around, you are more likely to make the same good choices toward your goals.

Even if you’ve only made one baby step toward your goals, appreciate yourself for that. Think about what made the one-time success possible for you. Being grateful for everything you’ve done reminds you that you indeed have succeeded at something that you set out to do.

Set your goals, establish your standards, and aim high. Your intentions are limitless.
　

Creating a Calming Home

Your home should be your sanctuary. It should be a place where troubles are left at the door and your mind and soul are nurtured and well cared for. To create a calming environment, make the following changes in your home:

• Bring in the outdoors. Live green plants, fresh-cut cut flowers, or blooming bulbs are a great way to bring life and nature in.  Add some decorative pieces of wood, large or small rocks, and other organic earth elements that create a feeling of being surrounded by nature.
• Paint your rooms to create certain moods. Cool colors such as blue and green promote a relaxed feeling and may be good choices for bedrooms. Warm colors such as maroon, coral, or burgundy suggest a cozy environment and encourage an inviting and welcome feeling.  These colors are good in family rooms and dining rooms.
• Surround yourself with items for all five senses. Have a variety of artwork adorning your walls and rooms - sculptures, paintings, or dried arrangements.  Add texture to rugs, curtains, wall hangings - smooth, rough, and soft.  Burn candles or essential oils to add aromas to your home. Peaceful sounds such as running water, soft music, or chimes induce a calming sensation in which you can relax. Add food features like dried cranberries or mixed nuts in shells in wooden bowls set in your dining room or kitchen.  Place slices of lemons, oranges or limes in the bottom of a glass vase filled with fresh cut flowers.
• Set aside a room or area in your house away from noise and distraction for peace and calm. A place used only for spiritual reflection and meditation. Keep the area dimly lit. Adorn with candles and burning essentials oils.  Try playing a little soft instrumental music. This area would be a good place for colors such as soft earth tones. Try a muted cream to encourage concentration,  and light tan and deep reds for grounding.
• Clear out all of your clutter. A low-maintenance home with fewer items is refreshing after a busy and hectic day filled with meetings, errands and chores. Fewer items can mean less frustration. If you don't use it, donate it, sell it, or recycle it.  Reduce for peace and happiness.
• Create an atmosphere of love. Display handmade or meaningful gifts from loved ones, such as the quilt that grandma had made draped over the back of a chair or sofa.  Frame and hang the artwork your children have created.  Photos of family and friends should be placed around your living spaces. Make places for all of your treasured items.

When implementing changes, go slowly, thoroughly, and thoughtfully through each room of your home.  Add your personal touch, be sure the items you choose to decorate with appeal to you.  Remember, your home is your sanctuary.  Bring in the peace and calm.

Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle

We all have the power to heal ourselves. The combinations of the nutrients we consume and the way we live out our lives determine the overall health of our body. The ultimate goal is to enable your body’s own natural ability to heal by supplying it with the proper support to do so. It must also be taken into account the mind-body connection and the role this plays in your overall health.

Here are some recommended basics for people who want to improve their health. These are things everyone can do to improve their health.

1. Be physically active. Daily exercise promotes your sense of well-being and overall good health. It helps keep you flexible, strong, emotionally balanced and will aid in better sleep.
2. Eat a healthy diet of whole foods. Include a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat lean protein and whole grains. Limit processed and microwavable foods. Drink plenty of good water daily.
3. Drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all. One drink a day may be beneficial for heart health, though large quantities of alcohol are very damaging to the body.
4. Practice stress reduction. Learn how to manage your stress. Not managing stress efficiently can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and a range of emotional problems including insomnia and depression.
5. Take time to relax and participate in some sort of recreation or hobby daily. Engaging in these types of activities can lower blood pressure, reduce stress and balance the mind. Find a mix of activities that include other people and some to do alone.
6. Get the right amount of sleep for you. Lack of sleep can attribute to weight gain, inability to deal with stressors and emotional imbalance. When sleeping, sleep well.
7. Get plenty of fresh air and sun exposure. Take whatever activities you can outside. Walking, reading, playing or simply visiting with friends. The fresh air rejuvenates the body. Sun exposure causes your body to produce vitamin D3 which boosts your immunities and increases calcium absorption.

Making simple changes to your daily routine can enhance your health dramatically. Learning to make lifestyle changes takes time and patience. Forgiving yourself when poor choices are made and rewarding yourself for making great choices is a good way to stay motivated during your quest toward good health.

Tapping Into the Happiness in Your Life

Living a life of happiness does not happen by mistake.  There are certain factors that need to be present in your everyday lifestyle in order to truly appreciate who you are and what you have. Happiness is not only a state of mind, it is a condition of a good life.  Here are a few key tips:

1. Accept yourself as who are. Don’t be too critical about yourself. Just learn how to love the person that you have become.  A happy life begins with self-actualization and acceptance.
2. Happiness is a state of mind. No one can make you unhappy if you have decided for sure that you will be happy in most situations.  Always look at things that don't go the way you wanted as an experience to learn from and how can you benefit from this. 
3. Prioritize your life. Learn how to balance the various responsibilities that you may have (work, relationships, and family) so that your priorities are being met.  Priorities need to include self-indulgence activities such as leisure time and hobbies. 
4. Take care of your health. An unhealthy body cannot be the home of a happy mind.  Good nutrition feeds the mind, body and spirit.  Set aside time for physical and mental activity.
5. Stay in the company of happy people. Being in the company of people who have a habit of criticizing is likely to divert your mind toward negative thoughts.  You become what you spend time with.  Spend it with people who exhibit behaviors that you wish to acquire.
6. Be grateful. Saying a small “thank you” for what you have can make a lot of difference.  Gratitude is the seed for more wonderful things coming into your life.  Take advantage of how easy it can be to show appreciation for what life has given you.

Setting aside a few moments everyday to evaluate your level of happiness and how you have achieved those good feelings is very important.  This plants the seed for a brighter, happier and more fullfilled tomorrow.