Hey Mom! Do you want to join me? I am making 2020 the year of my health: physically, mentally, and spiritually.

At a conference, I had the pleasure of listening to Trent Shelton speak. If you haven’t listened to Trent Shelton you need to, you can find him on YouTube, his “Straight Up” Podcast or read his book “The Greatest You”. He said, “When it gets real, you will see if it is real for you.” This statement resonated with me because so often we set goals for the new year and we don’t follow through.

We always talk about motivation and having the motivation to change. Motivation will only get you started. What is that “thing” that will keep you grinding towards your goals in 2020 when life gets hard, you’re tired, and your kids are not acting like little angels?

Mindset

This is where all the magic happens when wanting to change. We always want the quick fix. Drink the shake, put the electrodes on our abs to jiggle the fat away (my eyes are rolling back into my head), take the supplement. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way…you have to put the hard work in.

Finding the Rooted Reason for Change

When life is inconvenient, hard, and stressful, surface-level reasons will not hold up. You need a rooted reason or your WHY. The WHY isn’t usually “fitting into my pre-pregnancy jeans” or “to look good for my high school reunion”. Those are all great but when the going gets tough will these reasons keep you from jumping ship…probably not.

Finding your WHY Exercise

I heard this exercise once on a podcast for determining your why. You ask yourself WHY 5 times to get down to the rooted reason.

For example, I want to lose 50 pounds in the year 2020

WHY…so I look better and feel more confident
WHY…So I have more energy to play with my kids
WHY…So I can be the best parent I can be and a good role model
WHY…So they can grow up to live a long healthy life.
WHY…So I can also live a long healthy life and enjoy my kids and grandkids.

You get the point. Your final WHY is usually the true reason why you want to achieve your goal.

Commitment

Commitment is the ability to stay loyal to your goal long after the mood you were in when you proclaimed the goal has long gone away. When you commit, you fulfill it with actions not just words. To fully commit you 1) Know your Reason or Why 2) Know how you are going to get to your destination or goal. For example, be specific in your eating habits, your time of working out, your morning routine, etc. and 3) You have to have the drive and heart for what you are wanting to accomplish.

Emotional Resilience

I am so guilty of letting my emotions get the best of me. If I have had a stressful day, I find myself grabbing the first sugary treat as soon as I get in the door. This seems like such a “duh” statement but don’t let emotions control you! You are in control of your feelings and emotions even though you may not feel like it. Change your mind by moving your body. Put on a song that makes you feel excited, go for a walk, set an alarm with a word or your goal so you can be reminded several times a day. All these things can help.

Remember, “This Too Shall Pass”

A very amazing woman once told me “this too shall pass” when I was struggling as a momma with little ones. I have held on to this phrase like it was my life raft in the middle of the ocean. This phrase also applies to the struggles that you will face when grinding towards your goal. Embrace the struggle and keep your eyes on the end product.

Just Go to Bed

Have you ever noticed the bad decisions you make happen when you are tired? Bad decisions about food choices, reacting to your husband or kids, and just overall drive to do anything. There are a bigillion reasons to get more sleep (If you haven’t read Matthew Walker’s Book Why We Sleep you need too!) Get some sleep, you will feel much better…7-9 hours in fact.

Discipline

Get good at saying NO to the things that don’t support your goal. This may be people or habits that are keeping you from where you want to go. Maybe Friday night Mexican night may need to have a new twist on it. This also means strengthening your self-control muscle. Will the decision you make today support what you want in the future? Will the treats in the break room serve you in one hour when you are crashing from the sugar…probably not.

Consistency-Building Habits

You have heard it before, I will say it again for the people in the back, “We are what we repeatedly do.” Even though you may not think you have habits…you do. It takes time to develop a new habit so you have to be intentional about changing your habits. This also can’t be a “sometimes” thing. Sometimes is not going to change your life and you have to show up regardless of how you feel.

A great thing to do to hold you accountable is to tell someone about your goal. We as humans don’t want to disappoint people. So telling those closest to us about our goals and asking them for support is very important. Also, who is depending on you? Are your kids depending on you to be the best version of yourself so that you can give them your all? You betch’ your bottom they are.

When Is Enough Really Going to Be Enough?

Friends…I am not going to sit here  and say that I am perfect, not even close! What I will say is I am doing it…no excuses…alongside of you.

I provide some Health Promotion services to businesses and I get to help people meet their health goals. I often hear “I don’t have enough time”, “I don’t have the will power”, “Maybe when x,y,z”. If not now…then when?

Fun fact: Did you know, if you spend 30 minutes on Facebook each day, you will have spent 22, 8-hour workdays in a year. This is bananas!

It takes 30 minutes a day to move your body for health benefits. Health is not rocket science; eat mostly meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds and some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Surround yourself with people you love and will support you, CONNECT.

There comes a point in life when you will say, “I can’t keep doing this.” You CAN reach your goals for 2020…let’s support one another!

-taryn

Let’s Be Friends!

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