Finish Strong!
It’s about 10 weeks until New Year’s Eve…
The year is fast drawing to a close, and many of our shiny, sparkly, fabulous New Year's Resolutions have fallen by the wayside….
All those hopeful, shiny hopes, dreams and goals for 2018 to be "The Best Year Evah!!!!" have well and truly given way to work, life, family stuff, seven different times where life threw you a massive curveball and at least one situation that shook you to your core.
And so, like all of us, you did what you needed to keep going. You showed up at work, you looked after your family, you plastered a smile on your face, bit back your irritation, stifled a yawn, crabbed a coffee and got things done. Because you're awesome and you're not a quitter and I absolutely love you for that and so do the people who love you too.
And the year flew by and it’s almost over now.
And you’re thinking you might as well just declare 2018 a write-off, wallow in your self-care failure-ness and resolve that 2019 will be the year you finally prioritise your health and happiness. But for-reals this time. Seriously.
But.
No.
I'm inviting you to join me in my quest to FINISH STRONG!!!
Don't declare the year a complete write-off just because it is almost over!
If your food and lifestyle habits are a little bit less than healthy right now (or a lot!), let’s prioritise what needs to be done to move the arrow back in the healthy direction for the rest of the year!
There are still 10 more weeks in 2018. That’s about 70 days to eat more veggies, get to sleep at a reasonable hour, schedule in some healthy movement….
Here’s an action plan:
1. Block out some time, revisit your goals, decide which ones you want (or need!) to re-commit to as your FINISH STRONG goals
Don’t choose too many or you will just overwhelm yourself. Pick 2 to 4 realistic goals to aim for over the next 10 weeks. And make sure they are SMART! I wrote about setting SMART goals here, so feel free to check it out, and while you’re there download the FREE PRINTABLE goal setting guide and worksheets I created for you!
2. Turn each FINISH STRONG goal into an Actionable Plan!
I wrote about this HERE (and created TWO AWESOME FREE PRINTABLES!!!) and if you haven't checked it out already, check it out now! I'll be here waiting for you when you're done!
3. Display your FINISH STRONG goals and dreams where you can see them!
You can use words, pictures, songs, a screensaver on your phone or computer, a post-it note on your bathroom mirror (which will fall off and annoy the knickers off me, but if it's your thing then go for it). They key is to pepper your life with triggers to help you keep your goals and dreams front of mind. This will come in especially handy as the festive season approaches!
4. Introduce some accountability
Enlist a friend or coach to report your progress to, and help you stay motivated. Be a little bit judicious in who you choose, as sometimes our growth can be a bit confronting for our friends and loved ones. But put your feelers out and if you think someone might fit the bill, ask them if they would be willing to be your accountability buddy!
5. Take small consistent steps every day.
This is arguably the most important step. I wrote about this here. In fact, I CANNOT EMPHASISE THIS POINT ENOUGH! Some studies have shown that consistent action is the thing which distinguishes those who achieve their goals from those who don't. So take consistent steps every day! I have a name for this: I call these things my NNDR's (Non-Negotiable Daily Rituals). I wrote about NNDR's HERE, and I created an awesome FREE PRINTABLE for you too!
6. Eliminate the habits or situations that are sabotaging you
I wrote about this HERE. And I also created a FREE NOT-TO-DO LIST PRINTABLE to help you list the things that are making you feel bad about yourself, drain your energy, absorb too much of your time, and generally keep you from living your best life.
7. Prioritise!
When deciding how to spend your hours and days, keep your goals front-of mind. If it's not going to move you further along in your journey to health, happiness and success (however you choose to define it!) then leave it for later, after you have done the important stuff. We are busy, busy, BUSY and it is all too easy to let "urgent" busywork override the tasks that are truly important. Don't let that happen to you!!
At the end of each day, ask yourself: did I do something that is going to pull me forward, towards my goals and dreams?
8. Don’t try to cram an entire year’s worth of progress into a few weeks!
The aim of the game is to FINISH STRONG - not to set yourself up for exhaustion and failure! Just choose 2 to 4 realistic goals and follow the steps above. It might not seem like it will make much of a difference, but trust me: you can achieve a LOT in 10 weeks by making some small but consistent healthy changes.
Don't believe me?