Did you know that around 20% of the adult population could be considered chronic procrastinators?
The statistics are frighteningly worse for HARD goals. In a recent study conducted by Forbes, 77% of people admitted to putting off starting a diet, which made them 8 times more likely to be unhappy with their weight.
People often find it difficult to motivate themselves to make positive changes in their lives, especially when it comes to their health. When we’re stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset, putting off wellness goals until Monday is all too tempting.
However, doing so may have a detrimental effect on our happiness.
Procrastination researcher Piers Steel from the University of Calgary found in reviewing hundreds of studies that putting things off doesn’t lead to happiness. In fact, they overwhelmingly found among the procrastinators in their research that 94% believed procrastination actually hurt their happiness.
You cannot wait for the right time, day, or goal to start transforming your life when procrastinating is causing you to be unhappy.
Many of my new clients struggle with:
- Making health goals and then not being able to stick to them because their schedule is too busy
- Making goals that feel unattainable in the long-run
- Abandoning their goals at the first hint of a setback, giving up at the first sign of trouble
Change is more effective when made in small, sustainable steps instead of trying to make a huge change all at once. According to research, setting goals and holding yourself accountable to them can help you achieve the desired outcomes and avoid procrastination. By doing this, you can avoid the trap of never achieving your goals and ruining your own happiness.
Here are some of my tips to help you get started:
1. Decide to Change Your Life
Just like you, I was stuck in a continuous cycle of failure.
I couldn’t wait until the day was over. It was hard to be happy when it felt like I wasn’t reaching my full potential.
Then one day I decided to make a change.
That’s the secret.
You need to decide to make a change in your life RIGHT NOW. Otherwise, you will keep failing. Your journey to wellness doesn’t happen because you signed up for a gym membership and think about going.
Life-changing transformation occurs when you make small, but significant changes to your daily routine.
Change often takes courage, determination, and stepping out of your comfort zone to achieve personal growth.
But once you have made the decision to change your life anything is possible.
Here are some practical steps to get you started on your health goals:
- Meal Prepping: Meal prepping allows you to shop and prepare nutritious, filling meals that keep you energized and full throughout the day. Moreover, it simplifies dinner preparation, allowing you more time to focus on your other health goals.
- Exercise: Set workout clothes by the bed the night before, so when you wake up in the morning, you’re ready and motivated to hit the gym. If the gym isn’t your thing, then find an activity that gets you excited to move your body, such as taking walks, joining an online exercising community, signing up for a kickboxing gym, taking dance classes, etc. Whatever gets you excited to move your body.
- Sleep: Embracing habits that will give you more sleep such as going to bed at a reasonable time, shutting electronics off at least an hour before bed, picking up a book, and practicing deep breathing.
2. Learn to Embrace Discomfort
If you want to transform your life, you must be willing to step out of your comfort zone and dive headfirst into discomfort.
After I became a dietician, I went on to pursue a master’s in counseling so that I could help my clients bridge the gap between knowing and doing when it came to their nutrition.
Eventually, this led to a setback, which allowed me to learn things about myself that I was unaware of before.
I made small changes to my daily routine that helped me to get out of my comfort zone. And in this new experience, I realized my true calling and how I wanted to help people and make a difference.
That’s when I started The Pointe an integrative, science-based nutrition and lifestyle support for busy women and men who want a no-nonsense approach to increased energy, improved mental health, chronic disease management, digestive support, weight loss, and overall wellness.
Discomfort led to my complete transformation and helped me to start a new company where I feel happy and fulfilled in my work and daily life.
Here are my tips to embrace discomfort and break out of your comfort zone:
- Try new things. Whether that’s a new food or a new experience, both are sure to broaden your perspective and make you a better person.
- Get comfortable saying no. Saying no is really hard, but when you have a health goal in mind, sometimes that’s exactly what you need to say. If you don’t say no to that donut at brunch, you’ll never be able to achieve your health goals in the future.
- Embrace discomfort as a source of growth. Recognize that discomfort is a normal part of being human, and use it as motivation to make the changes that you want in your life.
Take a risk and step outside your comfort zone. There is no telling what you might find when you are out exploring.
3. Identify What’s Holding You Back
In order to be successful in your health journey, it’s important to identify what might be holding you back.
Perhaps you’re…
- Stuck in a continuous cycle of failure in your health journey because you haven’t been given the right strategies to be successful
- Interested in learning research-based life changes that can easily be incorporated into a daily routine, but are too busy to do the research because of careers, children, housework, aging parents, etc.
- Have tried everything to lose weight and improve well-being, but are unable to sustain healthy habits long-term
- Are a high performer at your jobs and in other areas of your life, but haven’t been able to translate that same level of attentiveness to a successful wellness journey
- Confused by the overabundance of “health” information and don’t know how to choose the right scientific approach to eating, movement, sleeping, and mental wellness
- Continually stressed, overbooked, and overwhelmed, and want to learn how to break this cycle of living to experience more calmness and enjoy life again
It’s easy to give up when obstacles stand in your path. Especially when it comes to a health journey. Many of us feel like we don’t have the time or resources to properly commit.
As a working mom of 2, I understand the pressures of trying to balance your home life, career, and self-care.
Although your journey to optimal health may not always be easy or straightforward, it is POSSIBLE. You just need to take the first step.
Don’t let those setbacks I listed above be the reason you keep waiting until Monday to change your life.
Ultimately, transformation happens when you decide to change your life today and make the decision to overcome the obstacles that stand in your way.
4. Sign Up For A Wellness Program
As a registered dietitian nutritionist and licensed counselor, I offer a well-rounded approach to the complex interplay between nutrition, mental health, and overall wellness.
- My goal is to help you feel comfortable in your own skin and have the vitality to be able to carry yourself through the day. The journey may not be easy or straightforward, but it is possible. I did it and you can too.
- My mission for The Pointe is to teach you how to profoundly improve your life by promoting healthy function and balance.
- My vision for you is to experience life more fully each and every day.
If you’re looking to optimize your health and treat your chronic mental and physical health concerns while reducing stress and increasing energy & vitality that includes:
- A Holistic Approach
- Science-based Treatment
- Personalized Healing Plan
- An Expert Team
- Supportive Community
You’re in the right place.
Our goal is to teach you how to bridge the gap between KNOWING and DOING!
At The Pointe, we provide you with unmatched nutrition and lifestyle management plans that will teach you how to increase your sense of agency, push through barriers and limiting beliefs, and help you feel successful and in control of your mental, physical, and emotional health again.
Whether that’s:
- How to increase energy and vitality in your life through nutrition and lifestyle management services
- Setting manageable weight loss goals that help you achieve your desired outcomes, instead of abandoning them at the first sight of failure
Don’t wait until Monday to make a transformational change to your wellness happen.
Let’s get started to make your turning Pointe TODAY!
