The start of a new year usually brings plans for a fresh start. You can make a change at any time, but there’s a little extra expectation and motivation that comes with that new year feeling. This year is your year. If one of your goals is to be healthier this year (it’s always on my list!), I want to help you get started!
Becoming healthier is a pretty broad topic, so I’m dividing it into 3 categories to cover all the bases: nutrition, fitness, and faith. I believe all three areas are important is truly improving your overall health – both physically & mentally. To keep things manageable, I recommend that you tackle one change in each area each month. That’s a total of 3 changes each month.
Why only one change per category? It’s easy to get overzealous when you’re making a change, but once the “newness” wears off you stop. Making only a few small changes is much easier to stick with. Once each becomes a habit, you can add a new change to your list. That’s a lot of changes in just a year!
Nutrition
For me, nutrition is a hard one to tackle. I love food and have to make a conscious effort to keep my portions in control and filled with healthy choices. Focus on adding good habits, instead of what you want to remove. That will help you stay positive and learn how delicious healthy eating can be!
Ideas for Changes
- Green smoothies are a great way to load up on nutrients! I found this 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge that I’m using to jumpstart the year with plenty of fruit & veggies.
- Drink More Water. Many of us go through each day slightly dehydrated. At a minimum, you should be drinking half your bodyweight in ounces. I drink 3/4 to 1 gallon of water each day. Use an app like “Water Your Body” (free on Android) or My Fitness Pal (apps for multiple devices)
- Choose whole grains and fiber-rich fruits & vegetables over refined grains and simple sugars for carbohydrates.
- Eat 4 to 6 meals smaller per day. This helps to control hunger, minimize fluctuations in blood sugar, and increase energy levels.
- Plan and cook your own meals, limiting eating out to once per week. You can use a tool like my Meal Planning with Macros Template to map out your meals to meet your nutrition goals.
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Fitness
I find that fitness gets easier with momentum. Once you find something (or several things) you enjoy and get into a groove, it’s easier to stay moving. It’s like inertia! The trick is find an activity you enjoy. There’s no best way to get fit, you just want to find something you’ll stick with. And remember to make small changes. If you’re not exercising at all today, don’t jump straight into training for a marathon. That’s a great way to get burned out and quit altogether.
Ideas for Changes
- Commit to practicing yoga for 10 minutes each day.
- Recruit a friend (or a group) to workout with you several times a week. Try these tips for staying active through the winter.
- Join a fitness challenge (like Losing is Everything) to get workouts and accountability. Bonus: Losing is Everything allows you to give back while you kickstart your fitness.
- Find a Personal Trainer to help you build a plan to reach your goals.
- Train for a race that interests you. Tackle a new distance, an adventure race, or hire a coach to help you reach the next levelf.
Faith
Now that we’ve covered the physical side of health, it’s time to round it out with the mental/spiritual side. There are many studies that show the connection between faith and physical health, but try it and see for yourself!
Ideas for Changes
- Choose a devotional book to read each morning before the day starts.
- Set aside 15 minutes each day to spend in prayer, reading, and meditation.
- Join an online (or in person) bible study. I like the She Reads Truth online community and they offer regular short-term studies. They also just launched #365DaysofTruth to read through the Bible in a year (which I’m joining!).
- Start a journal to track daily thoughts & insights.
- Find a mentor or accountability partner.
Ready to Get Started?
I’m not often a pen & paper kind of girl, but I think it can be useful for goals like this. To make this easier (and fun!) for you, I created a printable that you can use to record your goals each month. Print it out, add your goals, and then hang on your fridge, your wall at the office, or anywhere that you’ll see it most often.
Just right click on the image below to save it to your computer, then print as many as you need (in whatever size you need). Or you can download a PDF version, if you prefer.
If you like this post, hover over the image and click the Pinterest button to share it with your friends. Or share on your favorite platform using the buttons below. Thanks for helping me spread the word!!!
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Questions for you:
- What area is the hardest for you to stick with – nutrition, fitness, or faith?
- Any change suggestions to add to the list?
