3 steps to move forward in your health goals

What does a typical day look like? If it’s anything like most families I work with, it looks a lot like this: hit the snooze button until the last minute, grab a quick breakfast (or not!), rush out the door in a sweat, snack all day between patients/calls/meetings. Leave work early to get kids to their activities, grab a quick dinner in between carpool duties, rush to get kids cleaned up, fed a second dinner (iykyk) and in bed at a reasonable time. Collapse on the couch, scroll or binge watch to give yourself some downtime but end up staying up too late. Rinse and repeat. 

How do we get off the hamster wheel? 

1. Take the time to assess what’s actually happening and what you want to be your reality. The most important piece is creating the space to allow this work to be done.  I ask clients to complete the Duke Integrative Medicine’s Personal Health Inventory. This allows you to think deeply about all the areas of your health in a holistic way while also prioritizing what you are happy with and what needs to change now. 

2. After completing your inventory, as part of the prioritizing process, we discuss what matters most to you in your overall wellness. No skipping this part! For more about defining your why, read "knowing your why ".

3. If you’ve laid the groundwork, you are ready for goal setting! Goal setting is a complex process that should always connect back to your why. Set no more than 2-3 short-term goals. These goals should be a reasonable stretch to build confidence, but not so difficult that they are unattainable once motivation wanes. Think in 5-10 minute increments and link up established habits to the new habits you are working towards. 

Optional step: Hire a credentialed health coach to walk you through this process and provide external accountability. For more information on how health coaches help people change, check out this from the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches: "what is a health coach"