Setting goals is easier than implementing them right? We’ve all been there. In my experience, small steps are the most achievable and sustainable. Even better is to focus on establishing new healthy habits rather than simply hitting a goal. Have you ever lost motivation once the goal has been reached? Can you imagine reaping the rewards of optimal wellness for weeks on end? The joy and freedom of feeling & looking your best? If you’ve never been there, I can highly recommend it. It is wonderfully liberating.
Dr. Elaine’s 7 tips for achieving optimal health
Remember for goals to be SMART, they need to be:
Specific
Measurable
Accountable
Realistic
Timeframe
1. Chose a goal that most important for your health, that is achievable but just out of your comfort zone.
2. Break it into bite-size pieces: we are far more likely to finish things if we can just get over the hump of starting. Break the bigger goal into steps that you can take on a daily basis eg. eating a healthy breakfast, drinking an extra 4 glasses of water a day, exercising x minutes a day, meditating 5 minutes per day, feel grateful for 1 minute per day, flossing your teeth, practice mindfulness for 5 minutes, do breathing exercises, avoid refined sugar.
3. Focus on repeating that action daily for a week or more, until it becomes automatic. Know that it’s OK if this takes a few months for hard goals.
4. Then add the next step toward the bigger goal.
5. Ask people to encourage you, support you, and hold you accountable. The more the merrier.
6. Focus on your desired outcome: eg. to wake up feeling refreshed and relaxed, to have enough energy to do whatever you desire to. Feel calm & happy more of the time. Be able to walk/run/ride/swim/row x number of km comfortably. Be able to look in the mirror and feel satisfied. Be able to reduce your reliance on medication, caffeine or sugar. Lose x amount of kilos. Take your pick:)
7. Visualise your desired outcome; what does it look and feel like?
Do you need guidance to reach your health goals? Not sure what is the most important step to improving your health? The practitioners at Freedom Chinese Medicine can help you prioritise, plan, keep you accountable and make it easier to reach optimal health faster.
Written by:
Dr Elaine Hickman
B.H.Sc. TCM (Acupuncture), Cert.Cl.Ac (Beijing)
Registered Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
