Three Steps to Achieving Your Health Goals
By: Marjorie Geiser, RD

We all have aspects of health we want to improve. It could be as simple as increasing your stretching, or as great as starting an exercise program. Regardless of its scope, there is a reason you’re not doing it. Although the focus of this article is on health goals, these steps can also be applied to any aspect of your life, personal or professional. I will walk you through 3 steps that are guaranteed to help you achieve a health goal

To begin, write down a list of all your health goals. Then, pick one. Now write down all your perceived obstacles to achieving that goal. Include them all! Now, everyone can site lack of time, unable to fit it in, it’s something they just don’t like, it’s uncomfortable, etc, etc, but if it’s something you really want to do, I believe anyone can make it happen! What is it that makes one person get up and jog every morning before work, but another person says they ‘can’t’? It has a lot to do with desire and determination. It’s something that’s important enough to them that, regardless of obstacles, they fit it in.

Think about what the real blocks are to achieving this health goal. Is it something you really want to do, or is it something you should do? If it’s something you should do for your health, then perhaps looking at all the various options to at least help you get started would be helpful. Let’s say you’ve tried to go out jogging. You hate it; your feet hurt, our joints hurt, it’s hard, you can’t breathe, the weather’s too hot or too cold. There’s nothing about it you like and can’t imagine anything worse than having to actually do it daily!. What else could you do, then? Make a list of all the things that you think you would ever like to do, even if they don’t seem even slightly realistic.

This has led us to the next step, which is finding solutions to your block. So, as with the jogger, make that list of all the solutions you can think of to your obstacles. If you’re stuck, ask for some outside ideas. This is where a life coach who specializes in health could be an invaluable resource. A coach can give you outside ideas you never considered before. They may also help you see that jogging may be a goal for the future, if it’s what you’d really like to do, but instead of starting now, and hating every minute of it, they could help you devise a plan to build up slowly, starting perhaps with walking, making small, manageable goals along the way.. If it’s something you really want to do, you’ll take all steps necessary to finally make it happen! A coach will just help you get there, faster and with more success!

You’ve now listed various solutions to your obstacle.Now, pick one solution. It has to be a different solution than you have tried in the past. There’s a reason you have not accomplished this goal, previously. If you continue to try the same solutions, you’ll never overcome the block you’ve set up. This is why it’s important to get outside input, such as a coach, for different ideas and different strategies. In fact, studies show that people are much more successful in health goals, such as weight loss, when they worked with a coach who empowered them to do more and achieve more. A coach is an advocate for all your health goals and dreams, but is also there to support you when you fall. Consider this: Even Tiger Woods has a life coach!

So, now that you have chosen a solution, how will you implement it? How will you ensure success?

You have to share your intentions and you need a plan to carry it out, which is the third and final step. You can’t “Just do it”. If it was that easy, you’d already be “Doing it”! The more people you tell, the more responsible you’ll feel to carry out your plan. Sit down and put your plan together. Using our jogger, let’s say he’s decided he’ll start walking every work day. Just saying, “I’ll walk every day at work” is not enough. He has to determine when, where, how long and plan for the days it won’t work, such as rain or extra-long work days. It has to be specific and detailed, with the back-up plan. Our jogger has decided he can commit to a 15 minute walk each work day during lunch, before he eats. He’ll put his shoes in his car so he has them every day and he’ll tell all his co-workers his plan. Some may even eventually join him! He has determined that if the weather is bad, that he can take the time to stop at the indoor mall after work and get that 15 minute walk in before going home. He has his plan!

Will it work? It depends on how serious he is. If he doesn’t do it, then he knows this isn’t the right solution. This can happen, so then it’s time to go back to the drawing board and pick a new solution. It’s ok if the solution doesn’t work, as long as he realizes it just means finding a new solution. Perhaps he needs a new, more workable goal!

So, take these steps to achieve your health goals: Determine all your goals, choose one to work on at a time. List all the obstacles then determine solutions to those obstacles. Pick one solution, draw up a plan, and tell everyone you can about your plan. Make the plan specific and then stick to it. If it’s something you really want to achieve, you will do it!

About the Author

Marjorie Geiser has been teaching health, fitness and nutrition since 1982. She is a nutritionist, registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. As the owner of MEG Fitness, Marjorie’s goal for her clients is to help them incorporate healthy eating and fitness into their busy lives. You can learn more about Marjorie from her website, www.megfit.com, or contact her via email to margie@megfit.com.

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