If you want to create a healthier, more balanced life, consider building your own personal wellness plan. As the name indicates, this plan will be highly personal. Only you can decide what parts of your life need changing. And change takes time. It’s important to recognize this as a process, a project that will be adjusted and tweaked along the way, and probably never really “completed.” So don’t overwhelm yourself, or put your life under too much pressure. That will only make you more likely to quit. Focus instead on the long-term benefits of the plan – a better you.
Grab a pencil and notebook. Below are 6 steps to a simple reorganizing plan that will help you focus on where you want your life to be.
Step 1
Make a list of things you want to improve in your life. It can be as short or long as you want. Focus on areas where you need to make changes and be as specific as possible. Include at least three different aspects of your life.
Here are some areas to consider:
Physical
Mental
Spiritual
Emotional
Intellectual
Social
Occupational
Financial
Environmental
For example, you might want to improve your stress levels, your health and weight. Or maybe you need to work on finding a different job or learn how to have healthier relationships.
Step 2
Now make a list of the reasons why you’re trying to change. Print the list and make copies. Post them where you’ll see it frequently: on the fridge, in your car, on the bathroom mirror, etc. When you’re struggling or having a hard time keeping up with your plan, you can read the list to remind yourself of your motivation to change, your WHY.
Step 3
Choose at least three areas you want to focus on, and then create a list of changes you want to make on those areas. For example, to improve your spiritual dimension, you can try meditation, yoga and learning about how others see the world. Or you can come up with a list of healthier eating habits to help you lose weight, maintain a healthy cholesterol level, have more energy. Be specific. When setting up goals, don’t say “to lose weight” but instead put down the number of pounds you want to weigh.
Step 4
Break those goals down into smaller, weekly goals. Challenge yourself to make one small change from every area each week. For example, week one of trying to lose weight can be drinking more water. On week two, keep drinking water and replace dessert with a healthy fruit snack, and so on.
Step 5
Create a list of rewards you’ll give yourself for achieving those small goals along the way. Research says you should have small rewards along the way to help you stay motivated and one big reward at the end, for accomplishing your final goal. These rewards can be anything that makes you feel good: a book you want to read, a manicure or a massage, a new electronic gadget or just a trip to the beach.
Step 6
Important: Keep track of your progress. Use a journal to write down not only your accomplishments, but your feelings as well. This is valuable in getting to know yourself and what really motivates you. Or you can print out a master list with all your goals in it and check them off as you accomplish them.
Warnings
Get a medical checkup prior to beginning any new exercise or diet plan.
Helpful Tip
If you find you are having difficulty incorporating three goals per week, focus instead on just one goal for 21 days. Over the course of three weeks, build this one goal into your every-day routine then add another goal for the next 21 days.
When you reach your goals for your first three wellness areas, do the same with the others! Remember, keep you goals where you can see them every day.
There you have a simple wellness plan to help you achieve a healthier more balanced life. The folks at Freedom Insurance care about your well-being. We’re here to help with all your insurance needs.
Freedom Insurance
(410) 795-2000
