Well by the time this article is published many people will have already slacked off on all the promises made for 2007.  Whether it’s dropping a few extra pounds or changing some type of bad habit, we all declare that it’s time for change once January 1st rolls around.  So how many of us are still doing well with our Resolutions?  And if we have fallen off the path how do we get back on?

As my expertise lies within health and the human body I will limit this conversation to health goals and ways we can increase our chances of achieving them.  The first thing we have to be able to deal with is this: at some level, every single one of us is lazy.  For some it might be returning e-mails or taking out the trash, whatever it is it’s in all of us, to some degree.  Some of us have more of this trait when it comes to taking care of ourselves and hence the lack of follow through when it comes to Resolutions.

When it comes to health goals we all have different motivation.  My first suggestion is to think about a big reason for trying to achieve your health goal. For example if your goal is to lose 20 pounds, you’ll have a better chance of following through if your purpose to lose weight is so that you can play actively with your grandkids vs. getting my chiropractor to stop bugging me about my weight.  If your “why” of taking better care of yourself is big enough you are more likely to become inspired to follow through.  A personal example would be the fact that my dad passed away suddenly 5 years ago while vacationing in Florida.  A man who was apparently “healthy” and never missed work in 36 years as an optometrist suddenly passes away, just months before my chiropractic graduation.  Now just recently having the blessing of a new son in my family I am now INSIPRED (vs. motivated) to take better care of myself because I want to be around as long as possible to share those big moments with my son.  This is now a bigger “why” for me than merely staying healthy.  A second personal example is that I am in a profession of service where we have the ability to let many people live healthier lives and enjoy life to its fullest.  I am blessed to see miracles happen every day and I know my purpose is to help facilitate the healing process with these people and if I do not take care of myself it will affect my ability to take care of other people.  You can’t give what you don’t have, so for me, I cannot offer optimum health if I don’t express it myself.  How many of you reading this are involved in taking care of other people?  What few steps could you take to maximize your health?

Now that you have reflected on your “why”, you’ll need constant reminding.  This is easy for me because every time I look at my son it makes me want to take better care of myself.  Everyday that I go to work and have the opportunity to witness miracles I am reminded that I am fulfilling my purpose and this inspires me to pursue optimal health.  If you are not in a position to see these reminders all the time you need to position some images or words in places you see often.  Places that work well are refrigerator doors and bathroom mirrors.  So maybe you’re inspired to take care of yourself by looking at a family portrait.  Suddenly the refrigerator door seems like the best spot because it may help you to make healthier choices every time your looking for something to eat.  Maybe you have a big event like a wedding or graduation and you would love to wear a certain piece of clothing.  Well maybe the picture of the clothing or the date of the event on a sticky note placed strategically on the bathroom mirror might help you to get it in gear early in the morning.  Find something that works for you.  It will likely be something positive you want to move towards or something negative you move away from.  Try to link this to your highest purpose and you will feel the difference between being temporarily motivated or permanently inspired.

Two more tips.  Goals need to be specific and measurable.  For example, “I want to lose some weight” is way to general.  This needs to be broken down with a time component and chunked into smaller pieces.  If you say you are going to lose 30 pounds this year it needs to be chinked into mini goals such as, “I will lose 10 pounds by April 1st by cutting out late night eating, walking for 30 minutes three times a week and by going to 2 yoga classes each week.”  Getting specific and using measurable targets will increase your chances of achieving your goal. 

The second tip is reward your good behavior, immediately!!  The first time you push your plate away with food on it, or the first time you get out of bed early to exercise, reward yourself.  This will help to reinforce the new behavior.  Remember that good habits will take at least 30 days to form.

So to recap, link your health goals to something big.  When the “why” is big enough the “hows” take care of themselves.  Instead of looking for motivation, look for inspiration.  When it comes to goal setting remember that goals need to be specific and measurable!!  Good luck with this and I wish you an abundance of health in 2007!