Are you looking to change something about your health to increase your well span and ability to participate in your outdoor activities for many more years to come?
It can be a little overwhelming knowing where to start.
The ideal you can feel unachievable , requiring work on a number aspects of your health and fitness. Our natural desire is to approach everything at once. Increase the training, clean up the diet, reduce the alcohol, get better sleep.....you get the picture. Yet this can lead to frustration and less than successful results. It's a little bit like a discussion around multitasking. People think they can multitask but the evidence is we can't . As Dr Gillian Clark from Deakin University states "our brain doesn’t have the capacity to allocate attention to everything all at once....." and it deals with this "...by switching between tasks. This can feel as though we’re focusing on multiple things at once, but our brain is more likely focusing on one thing, then switching to another, then switching back and so on."(1) This makes us less efficient and more likely to make errors. Now, this relates to dealing with multiple tasks in the moment , but the analogy fits what we see with people working on behaviour change. The process needs to broken into one focus at a time and using simple , measurable, achievable steps.
So where to start?
Of course the key is to actually start....and consider some of the following questions.
What means the most to you about your health and wellness?
What do you prioritise? If you are working on something you are most passionate about, the motivation will come more easily and it will form a basis to confidently move into those other areas you tend to avoid.
What would be the easiest first thing to change?
Often this ties in with your priority but can also be influenced by logistics. Again, seeing results by starting on something that's easily attainable boosts your confidence to take on other challenges.
Are there smaller stepping stones you can visualise on the way to making that first change?
What would the very first step be? Think of things that are easily achievable from your current situation. Something that could be done tomorrow to start you on your journey of change .
When are you going to take that first small step?
Again, think about the very near future....and then get specific. Pick a day, a time . What will you be doing before and after this activity ? How does it fit into your day?
How can you make these first steps easy and visible ?
Is it by cleaning out the pantry for the dietary change? Is it booking in to the gym for that exercise, making arrangements with a walking buddy, or parking further from your workplace than usual?
How are you going to measure success?
This ties in to self regulation and accountability. Having a clear vision of what success looks like and how you are going to measure it gives you something concrete to work with.
Do you need any help ?
Do you need someone to coach you or to provide some external accountability? Do you need to think about a professional health coach, who is an expert in health and wellness behaviour change? Are there other supports which could be useful?
It can be daunting to start the journey toward the ideal you, but by finding focus and asking yourself these questions the task will be achievable.
If you need any help achieving your health and fitness goals and want to keep skiing, surfing, hiking or snowboarding as you get older reach out to Primal Regeneration . I offer Health Coaching specialising in these areas . My background as doctor, Primal Health and Fitness Coach, ski coach and surfer all contribute to my ability to help you on your journey.
https://this.deakin.edu.au/self-improvement/the-great-big-multitasking-myth-why-it-makes-you-less-efficient
