In order to get started on a year of chasing after health, I wanted to share not just my own personal goals with fitness but also some ways I have found that work to stay on track. See below for my tips and goals for myself this year.
CREATE RITUALS
I no longer set large and lofty fitness goals at the beginning of the new year. In the past, when I have I find myself burnt out and completely over whatever program I have myself on within a few short months. That burnt out feeling results in feeling frustrated with myself, which is never a good way to start a year. So, in order to relieve myself from that feeling, I instead have tried to keep fitness at the center of my routine through all seasons. This means that I continue to keep my focus on being better, stronger, and healthier than I was the year before. I choose to take small but consistent steps of improvement in order to make sure they naturally work their way into my routine and become habitual. For instance, y’all remember when I started running last year and how even I chatted about my journey as a college athlete, finding my way in a new context, no longer having a team. That was something that each year I find a new way to conquer and improve upon. Running is now something I love and look forward to because I slowly integrated it into my day in a way that felt positive in my day.
LIVE YOUR LIFE
Fitness and health are a journey for your entire life. There is no secret pill or magic workout to make it all perfect, no matter what they tell you. You must choose a lifestyle that fits you and who you are. Just like everyone else, I am by no means perfect when it comes to health. I have ideals and ideas of what works for me or what I want to try, but you can still find me choosing to stuff myself with baguettes and cheese or pizza and beer sometimes. We all do it and the world we live in, makes it easy to fall off your plan. Just make sure to find a lifestyle that fits you, your goals, and makes you ready to jump back on the train after night of eating pizza with friends.
FIND BALANCE
I have found that instead of beating myself up, I look back at my goals and routine to help rebalance and heal what I may have done to my body. I also am a big believer that a little bit doesn’t hurt that much in the grand scheme of it all. So yes, I will still enjoy a pizza a few times this year, but I will also being eating my green packed smoothie every morning and drinking lemon water. Your workouts should be the same. You will get sick at some point, but don’t let that be the end to your goals. Maybe use your sick week to focus on stretching and flexibility so when you do bounce back, you can nail that high cardio workout with a little different approach than you did before.
OPTIMIZE HEALTH = OPTIMIZE LIFE
As entrepreneurs, Mike and I are the heart-and-soul of our business and we manifest our own success. If we don’t keep ourselves on-track and well-tuned in every facet of being, including mental, physical, emotional health, than we can begin to see our business become affected by our choices to not care for ourselves just as we would care for our camera or other equipment that is vital to our business. So, just like working to better ourselves in our work and creativity, we have to do that same thing with our bodies, minds, and spirits. I’ve been using UltraCell full spectrum hemp oil and it’s been a great help for my insomnia.
TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH
I am focusing on having a more holistic approach to my health this year. My goal is to close out 2015 and say I am my strongest and healthiest self from head-to-toe. I don’t mean I plan to fit in a certain size or be able to climb Mount Everest (though that would be pretty amazing), I just mean that my goal is to feel proud of the way I have challenged myself to be my best. I want to feel as if I have more clarity and understanding of myself than the year before. That will come with setting a healthy routine and slowly working to refine and perfect my lifestyle to achieve that feeling in every aspect of our life.
STAY MOTIVATED
Now you may ask how do I keep motivated to keep hitting the gym and tying my shoes up for a run, especially on grueling days with deadlines? For me, there are days I need it more than anything else, but there are days I just can’t even fathom it. On those days I look to cute, comfortable, and fun workout clothes to keep me on track. This time of year on chilly winter days, whether running to the gym or a yoga class or simply working out at home, I need pieces like these tribal style capri leggings and cozy hoodie to make it a little less difficult and challenging. You have to find something that keeps you going. Each of us is different. For me it is the shoes and cozy gear.
INSPIRING YOURSELF MEANS SEEING RESULTS
It is no doubt that, working out has to be made into a lifestyle, which may be the hardest thing for most people. Training your body to want to sweat and feel change is a hard thing. But when you can find a love for that feeling and can see results in every part of your life, there is no way you won’t continue to push closer to becoming a healthier and stronger you. Maybe to get you motivated take a before photo and then each week take a results photo. For me, things like that can really keep me going when I just think it is all for nothing.
So, what are my goals for 2015? Some are big and some are small, but I am really excited about where my journey of becoming my healthiest and strongest version will take me this year.
2015 GOALS
– Eat a whole food diet as much as physically possible.
– Make sure to schedule at least 4 workouts into my week so I can make sure to get them in
just like a meeting or deadline. Whether it happens at home or at the gym.
– Make sure I make time for at least two yoga classes a week in order to improve flexibility,
release tension, and to offer myself more clarity.
– Hike through Scotland in the late Summer/Fall for about two weeks.
– Run at least 1,000 miles over the year.
– Finally do a headstand in yoga…still can’t even do a crow….ha.
– Start EVERY morning with hot water and lemon, not just the days I am being good.
– Fully integrate essential oils into our lifestyle.
– Choose in each opportunity to look for a natural solution for hair, skin, and most simple
ailments when possible.
How do you handle your fitness goals at the beginning of the year? Have you made any for this year specifically?
This post was sponsored by Old Navy. Check out Old Navy’s latest fashion lineup in store or online at oldnavy.com.
