Time to Start Again
Updated: Jul 20, 2022
Raise your hand if you could use a moment to yourself.
You know, a moment to breathe, refresh and renew your mind and body.
Like you, I look forward to moments to refresh and renew my mind and body. The need is often great, but the opportunity to make this happen as often as needed escapes me. After a long day of working, mothering, and managing everything on my plate, I often feel tired and without an actual plan of action to overcome this pattern the next day. Knowing that I could not continue in this pattern pushed me to ask this question;
Can we create a fresh start at any moment in time?
When you know your health status and feel that you are not hitting your goals, declaring a fresh start day can work in your favor. It can serve as both a mental and physical reset.
Designating a fresh start is a great way to reset your action plan and restore your purpose in action.
As you progress on your wellness journey, it's important to recognize when you are not making progress in certain areas. For example, perhaps you have been consistent with your walking program, but not so with your food choices. It could be time for a fresh start when you recognize the limited positive movement on the nutrition front.
It's important to note that a fresh start may not work for every person. For example, if you have been walking successfully and sticking to your nutrition plan, the research says this is not the best time to designate a fresh start. Therefore, fresh starts are most valuable when you are not experiencing success in behavior change.
So, it's crucial to determine what's happening; are you just feeling stagnant and bored and need to upgrade your current plan of action, OR have you not been successful.
Making sure your planned actions align with your lifestyle and interests can resolve boredom. Lack of success is a more significant issue related to a disconnection between goals and effort. Using a fresh start is an excellent strategy in this situation.
Here are some tips on how to create a fresh start;
Revisit The Goal: Take a moment to revisit the goal associated with the behavior you need to change. Determine if your goal is still a good fit for your lifestyle. If you are working with a wellness coach, make it a point to discuss this challenge in your next session.
Identify Troublesome Actions: Chances are you made a plan of action associated with your goal. Make a list of the activities you feel are not working well for you or those you have the most trouble.
Revising the Action Plan: Revising is a great way to support a fresh start, and it provides a mental shift that makes you feel like you are doing something new. After choosing one or two actions that you've not been able to complete consistently, decide how you can revise them to be easier to accomplish. For example, if your goal includes drinking five bottles of water daily but you always forget to bring your bottles to work, revise the action by putting a week's worth of water in the car on Sundays. Or, you could set an evening reminder on your phone to pack the water. This step aims to identify the challenge that limits success and gives you the power to squash the challenge.
Choose Your Fresh Start Day: Your fresh start day should be at the beginning of the week. The research tells us that you are 60 percent more likely to succeed with a fresh start when you begin at the start of the week.
Ramp Up Your Resources: Make sure you think about what you need to succeed. Keep a journal to record your actions or set reminders to take action on your phone. Or, if you are like me, make a list of the activities you need to accomplish the next day. Some of us might need a little more support and if you are one of those people, consider registering for my accountability program by clicking here. This program focuses on valuable one-to-one accountability when changing health behaviors.
Above all, don't stress about a season that hasn't been full of success! Grace yourself with moments of care that include being kind enough to yourself to affirm that you can still reach that goal.
Be optimistic about what you can accomplish.
Pat yourself on the back for ANY small victory!
Your success will unfold as it should!
On the journey,
KB