Staying true to your health vision

As we are a week into January and for many the cold spells are really kicking in, I though I would talk about the need to be consistent when talking about goals. When the weather is cold and dark it can be so easy to revert to our comfortable patterns. It becomes harder to stay focused on the health vision we set ourselves only a week or so ago. Our positive intentions to complete Veganuary, Dry January (or even JanuHairy for those of you who are fans of Gavin and Stacey!)’ may be starting to flicker and wain.

Completing your daily exercise may start with more of a daily groan and thoughts of can I get a away with not doing this today? I can start again tomorrow and just work extra hard, right? Maybe, but let’s consider for a moment what happens tomorrow, when it’s still dark and miserable and you are still craving the comfort of the festive season. Start again tomorrow? Of course, having a day off is not an issue, it’s important, but so is consistency.

Consistency keeps us moving forward towards the vision. Consistency allows us to build on the previous day's work, it’s a compounding effect. If we work a little each day on our vision it ensures we are moving in the right direction. January can be the hardest month to make changes, but its not impossible, it’s simply a slight hurdle, a challenge. There are many ways to stay focused and consistent, and if you have a visionboard that is certainly a great start.

I have narrowed down my top three consistency tips:

• Timetabling: I use a timetable throughout the week to plan in when things are going to be done. Colour-coding is a great help here to as it makes things stand out a bit more and livens the page up.
• Tackle the hardest things first: Once done, make sure you acknowledge your achievement.
• Spend a few minutes thinking about why you are doing it and the result. Picture yourself having completed it and focus on that moment.

These are just some of the methods to stay in your flow, there are many more. If you need further information please do message us, as we would love to hear how you are getting on. Every time you work positively on your goals, you are keeping the momentum going, keeping you moving forwards to achieving your vision. You are getting closer to ticking things off and achieving your health goals one day at a time.

Happy New Year- What's your Vision?

Welcome to the New Year! Are you ready for the year ahead? Do you have plans and goals? I know I do, but it’s so hard to remain focused on them isn’t it? We start out well but then things just get in the way, and we can become distracted. It’s as if we need a constant reminder…

I am grateful that some years ago (quite a few now in fact!) I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the concept of a vision board. I have used this method ever since to help me remain focused. For those of you who are unaware, a vision board (or dream board) is a collage of pictures, images and affirmations that are significant to you depicting the life you want to create and goals you want to achieve. It is a great visual reminder of all the exciting plans you have and how you want your life to look. You can prepare them for the long-term or the short-term. You can also use them for individual projects, to focus in on the detail or simply view on a broader scale.

I have found vision boards to be great fun to create (and I am most definitely not a creative person). Once ready they act as a great visual reminder of your aspirations. Although New Year's Eve is a great time to do your vision board, you can prepare it at any time of year. We do ours as a family. Now I’m not going to lie to you here, this takes a great deal of patience and a good degree of self-control in making sure that younger family members don’t simply turn it into a ‘stuff I want to buy’ exercise. So be prepared to keep reminding them that is not what the exercise is about. I tend to say think about the following three things:

·       What do I want my life to be like?

·       Who do I want to be?

·       What do I want to do?

When doing this with your children, you may need to simplify it for them. We usually get some imaginative boards with lots of pictures on and find that once you all get going it gets easier. I find this a great way to start talking about goals and visions with children as they appreciate the visual aspect, and younger ones always love cutting and sticking!  There are also programs online that you can use to create the dream board for you if you prefer. Once complete, put in a place where you can see it every day and be reminded of your direction.

I find vision boards are a really important tool for the Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) aspect of our healthy habits too!

If you would like further help with vision boards and how to use them, please do message us.