Get your ACT Together!
Sometimes we just need to ACT – take some form of action toward our goals and start the ball rolling. This means – get off your butt NOW and go for a walk, do some stretches, or put down the bowl of ice cream or chips, not tell ourselves “I will start tomorrow”. Make the decision and start now!!
I remember years ago, and I mean back during my fitness competition days, I was completely off my plan. It may have been 1 day or a few in a row. I don’t remember details, but it probably involved fried buffalo chicken and brownies among other things. I was beating myself up going on and on about how I needed to stop eating the junk and get back on track. I always remember Brett, my now husband, saying to me, “so stop eating the brownie!” I looked at him like a deer in headlights with my mouth open, brownie in hand, like it was the absolute craziest thing…. To STOP eating the brownie, that I was complaining about. I laugh now, but it was a true ah-ha moment for me. We can stop, we can make a change, and it can happen in the snap of our fingers.
One less cookie may not equate to a 5 lb weight loss, but it is the first step to change a current habit.
One 5 minute workout won’t get you 6 pack abs, but it is the first step to start a new habit!
Small changes overtime build upon each other, work together, and eventually lead to new sustained habits. New habits are required to reach your goals.
I LOVE goal setting. There is a time and place for deep reflection and evaluation of our past actions and formulation of new motivating goals. However, I believe we can start making strides toward creating new habits without a clearly defined, detailed goal. If we have a general idea where we want to go, it can be enough to get us started. We don’t have to wait until we have reflected on the past and refined our new goals down to specifics. We already know at least a few things we can do now that will align us toward our new direction.
If today is day one or day 653 on your path to health, take a step, take an action… just do SOMETHING you know that will bring your closer toward health than further away. When you have the time and desire, then, let’s reflect and define goals.
As many of us feel the need to be “healthier” this time of year, here are a few examples of small actions you can take right now
1. Drink a glass of water – add lemon, make it sparkling, make tea
2. Put on one song and dance!
3. Pick 5 stretches and hold them for 30 seconds each
Just Start!
Ashley