age is really just a number

Earlier this week I was asked, “What is the most important thing a person can do to help themselves be more successful and stick to their healthy lifestyle plan?” 

My Answer: Actually, have a plan. Write it down. 

Napoleon Hill said, “A goal not written down is just a mere wish.” 

He was talking about success in business, but the same principles hold true. We often talk about how we want to change our habits and improve our health, but don’t actually sit down and plan how we are going to achieve this.

You wouldn’t go on a road trip without a map, so why would you commit to a healthier lifestyle without a plan? 

Just like you make a shopping list before heading to the grocery store or you end up with lots of food you don’t need or even want, you should also map out the path to your goal.

It’s just not feasible to go about an overhaul of your life without a game plan. What are you going to eat? Are you going to follow a strict diet or just make some minor changes? What exercise program will you follow? Will you just run every day? Or will you mix strength, stretching, yoga and cardio? What will you give up in search of a healthier you? 

There are so many things to consider before you begin your journey and drawing a map or writing down a detailed plan is a great way to organize your thoughts. 

Remember that failure to plan is planning to fail, and you want this new healthier lifestyle to be a success! 

Here are a few ways to map out your success.

Establish A Daily Schedule: The days go by quickly, and it’s easy to get sucked into doing something other than what you wanted to do. 

Write down a schedule for each day of the week and incorporate the times you’ll be exercising, meal prepping, and so forth. Make detailed appointments with yourself.

Do your best to stick to that schedule. Say goodbye to unproductive days!

Exercise Goals: If your goal is to run a marathon, then you need to first know how far you can currently run, and then work your way up in increments to reach your ultimate goal. Remember not to do too much, too soon, too fast or an injury will quickly derail your plan. A ten percent increase each week is reasonable. Mix in stretching and strength work to improve your overall fitness while you work on becoming a running machine.

Push yourself a little bit more each week until you have reached and sustained your goal! Even then, why not start all over with a brand-new fitness goal? Mix it up! You may surprise yourself.

Dietary Needs: Never leave what you’re going to eat up to chance. Plan your meals out ahead of time, for the entire week if possible. Shopping on Saturday and meal prepping on Sunday is a great way to get it done.

When you’ve planned it out, you won’t fall victim to fast food, takeout, or other quick temptations. Don’t forget to incorporate healthy snacks! And lots of hydration. You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces each day.

And always remember, you can’t outrun a poor diet! No matter how well your exercise plan improves, if you don’t change your diet and cut out all the extraneous simple sugars, bad fats, and sugary drinks; your road to a healthier you will be full of potholes. The average American has the worst diet in the world. Time to change this, one plate at a time!

Get an Accountability Partner: Once you have written down and troubleshooted your plan, share it with your spouse or close friend. When you have an accountability partner, you are much more likely to stick with the plan.

Keep a Journal: A fitness and food journal can keep you not only accountable for your plan, but actually helps you troubleshoot your plan when things go awry. And they will. None of us is perfect and what works for me might not work for you. Keeping a detailed journal of food input, activity output, hydration and sleep can really help you stay on track. Share this with your accountability partner as well.

I applaud your quest to find a healthier version of you! Make a plan, write it down, and execute!