4 Alternative Approaches to Crushing Your Health Goals in 2024
If taking better care of yourself and getting healthier is on your list for 2024, take note of these four, not so typical, strategies that will make a huge difference to your chances of success.
Come from Love
Start by accepting your body exactly as it is right now. Yup, you read that right. Rejecting or shaming yourself will only create more stress, anxiety, and negative emotions - which won't motivate positive change.
It is possible to accept your current body while still desiring growth and improvement. Approach your health goals gently and with compassion. Remind yourself regularly that you deserve to feel healthy and strong. Try to get comfortable with the discomfort while you take small steps towards feeling stronger and better in yourself and be patient. Honestly, this is the most valuable piece of health advice you’ll get.
Find the joy!
Don't focus on the end result. Choose the stuff you enjoy, do the activities that are fun and enjoyable, rather than going to the gym because you think it’s what you ‘should’ do. Cook healthy meals that satisfy your tastebuds. Move your body in a way that makes you happy. As habit strategist James Clears says: forget the goals and focus on the system.
Track Your Progress
Having visibility of your efforts gives you motivation to keep going. Personally, I think sleep trackers disturb your sleep and nutrition/food trackers are a source of stress and disordered eating habits. Go old school with a calendar and stickers or diary and notes to track each day you accomplish your small goal – I found that when trying to cut back on alcohol, drawing a little cocktail glass in my diary for every day I didn’t drink, really boosted my motivation. Having the stickers/visual cues add up reinforces your hard work.
Finally, Take Baby Steps
Ok, oldie, but goodie. Don't try to overhaul your entire lifestyle at once. Pick one small, manageable goal and stick to it for a few weeks until it becomes habit. Then move to the next baby step. This approach prevents burnout and increases your chances of long-term success. Start with easy wins like drinking more water, taking a daily walk or adding one vegetable to each meal.
If you'd value the support of a like-minded community and coach to help you to achieve your health goals this year, take a look at The Non-Diet Method. Starting again in early February, we will be taking 6 steps to improve your relationship with food and metabolic health. Get on the wait list here.
