I know so many people who are very competent and successful in the business world, yet they have high cholesterol, hypertension, Type II Diabetes and/or are just unhappy with the appearance of their body. What’s interesting is that some of the same principals of running a successful business can be applied to having a healthy lifestyle.
This morning, I read a blog on INC.com called 7 Tips for Creating Your Own Destiny. While reading, I thought that if you could apply these tips to you business ventures then you could easily apply them to your health.
1. Plan A Preferred Future Body
Notice, I said body and not weight. Being fit doesn’t mean that you have to fit a Hollywood standard of slim. For some of us, a happy body weight would be to be average. For ome of us our preferred future body is just those 5 lbs we can’t get off. Whatever, you ideal body is, think about the actions it will take to get there! What does the average healthy weighted person do. What does you friend who looks like a fitness model do? Think about these things and write them down. Being healthy comes down to the daily habits you do over time, not while on a weight loss program. What activities are you going to incorporate into your daily routine for the rest of your life? What foods are you going to put into your body to fuel these activities?
2. Be Pragmatic
Set reasonable check in goals. If you have a lot of weight to lose, focus on 3 month periods of a time. If we look at one huge number, often we get frustrated and give up. Your ultimate goal might be to lose 100lbs, but each 20lb mark is a huge milestone. Recognize each milestone along the way as a huge success. When you reach the end, don’t get hung up on a number. When you are overweight it is hard to estimate what weight you will be happy with. Weight is just a number, healthy is an image. Be happy when you reach the image you want to be!
On the flip side, if you goal is to lose those last 5lbs be reasonable about the steps it will take to get there. I promise you that fitness model friend NEVER gets the scone with her coffee. Maybe, be ok with those last 3 but set rules about when you are allowed that scone. 😉
3. Decide Who not What
Take ownership of the actions you will do to meet you goals. Many people adopt exercise and diets habits while on a weightloss program, but do not identify with them because they see those habits as something “fit” people do, not what they do. Well, I hate to break it to you, but if those are the actions that are working for you to lose weight, they are what YOU do! Embrace this! These will also be the actions that keep you at your ideal body image.
4. Be Honest
Be honest with yourself. Do you really deserve that scoop of ice cream? Is it really ok to take a full week of exercise off while on vacation? Maybe you did a Bikram yoga double, or just ran an a marathon and deserve that treat or rest. Or maybe you are just justifying it. Be honest with yourself and have an a person who can keep you accountable for those times when you start to justify.
5. Consider the tools around you old and new
Like I said before, if something worked for you in the past, KEEP DOING IT! Also, keep your eyes open for new classes and challenges. Read healthy recipe blogs. Find new ways to cook those healthy proteins. Keep a journal of the things you like. When you are all out of ideas, go back to the beginning of the journal. I am sure there are things that you LOVE, that you have forgotten about.
6. Ignore the Naysayers
There are going to be people on your quest to get healthy that encourage you to go out for pizza. They will order the nachos when you were good and ordered a salad, dressing on the side and tell you,”A couple chips won’t throw your diet off.” They will scoff at your stories about your exercise highs and try to argue that exercise is bad for your body and your joints. Think deeper about those comments. Are they true? No they are not, but that “friend” hasn’t made the commitment you have to being fit. If they sabotage you, they can justify living their unhealthy lifestyle. Really their comments are their own insecurities about their unhealthy habits. If you give in to them, you are giving them justification for the way they are living. You have two options, 1. Ditch them or 2. Fight for your new beliefs. Remember, you are your plan.
7. Don’t Settle For Mediocrity
You may never be a fitness model, but that doesn’t mean you need to settle for who you are right now. If you are fit, set a new goal. You can always be stronger, start running, run a 5k, run a 10k, run a 1/2 marathon, run a marathon. You can take up yoga, climb a mountain, bike to work. There is always a new goal out there. Keep setting goals. Would you just settle for just one launch? No, once you launch you start working on the next product. Always keep working on the healthy YOU!