There are approximately 153,987 things that you can do to improve your nutrition. There are about 765,435 ways to increase fitness. There are about 9,873,552 holiday cookies in the break room right this second.
Add these all up and you can’t help but feel overwhelmed and helpless to take any action until the beginning of the year.
But here’s the good news, true changes to our weight and health come from consistency of behavior, not perfection. So taking one small step will get you closer to your goal 100% of the time. Inversely, waiting until everything is perfect will keep you far away from your goal 100% of the time.
So, how do you get yourself to just get moving?
The technique I use is habit tracking. You see, I’m a check-list kind of girl. There is nothing more satisfying then physically crossing something off! To the extent that if I did a task that wasn’t on my list, I will add it just so I can check it off. Don’t pretend like you don’t do that too!
Lists not only remind me of what’s important so I don’t get lose focus, but they also are a visual representation of accomplishments. Without seeing what I have actually done I have a tendency to focus only on what I didn’t do. Alternatively, when I am feeling accomplished it has a ripple effect and I end up having a superwomen-esq kind of day.
The trick is to pick things that you want to become more consistent with, but also make sure that they are realistic so you can succeed.
I’m actually doing this for the month of December and this is what I have chosen:
- Drink ½ my body weight in water
- Exercise
- Stretch
These are all things I do on some level, but I struggle with consistency. I set minimums of these on the low end – 2 L of water, 20 min of exercise and 6 stretches. Still, these will be a push for me (I have procrastinated stretching for the majority of my life and water takes a constant effort) but they are also very attainable if I commit. The combination of taking effort and being realistic is key.
I have included both a PDF and word version of the exact habit tracker for you to try for yourself! Print them out, stick it on your fridge and get yourself a nice red sharpie!
HABIT TRACKER PDF
HABIT TRACKER WORD
If you want to join me for some accountability (yes, I need it too!) comment below or find me over on Facebook. Everything is easier together!
