The Whole Life Challenge is upon us. Are you ready?

Often the battle starts in the mind. When you face a challenge that is potentially difficult, are you a half glass full or a half glass empty kind of person? Let’s face it, when those hard tasks come around, we often shoot ourselves in the foot before we even get started. A positive attitude is vital to your success!

Step 1: Remember why you are taking the challenge. A healthy lifestyle is a lifelong pursuit. It is important to remember you are in this for the long haul. If you are patient and persistent, the results will come. Set realistic goals for health and strength.

Step 2: Know what needs to change. Part of changing is knowing what needs to change. Take a good hard look at your eating & exercise habits. Sometimes we just eat and don’t really know what we are putting in our bodies. Either take a day and track what you normally eat, or think back over yesterday. Isn’t it amazing what we actually eat? Change happens as we begin to move forward. It doesn’t have to be drastic. Small changes can make a huge difference fairly quickly.

Step 3: Don’t be discouraged! This is not a reality weight loss show. If you are not shedding weight like you see on those shows, it is ok. Healthy weight loss at a moderate pace of 1-3 lbs per week is better than trying to get faster results by starving and overexertion. Whatever you do, don’t give up! Trust your body and the results will come. In a week’s time you will notice a difference. You have more energy throughout the day, you will be more alert, and you will wake feeling more rested. It is then that you realize that you are on your way to achieving a healthier, happier, and longer life.

Step 4: Take it one step at a time. When we face a long challenge, we tend to get worked up because we want results now. It is hard to not get ahead of ourselves in our thinking. Just focus on each step along the way, not the whole thing, as that can be overwhelming. Break the challenge into daily goals. Do what it takes to make the day a success. Before you know it, you will have a week of successes.

Step 5: Learn from Mistakes. Our tendency is that if we mess up, we want to throw in the towel. Here’s some good news for you “glass half empty people” – the Whole Life Challenge recognizes that we will have days that we just don’t make the best choices, hence the point system. So, if you mess up – don’t give up. Take the time to look at what actually happened, and what choices you had before you. Be a student of yourself and learn why you made the choices you did. If you take the time to think through the mistakes, you will be less likely to make the same mistake in the future. Isn’t this part of what the challenge is about? Learning how to be healthy? Sometimes learning how to be healthy, is a matter of learning what you are doing that is contributing to poor health.

And to quote one of my (and Rob’s) favorite coaches: ” Success – it ‘s what you do with what you’ve got.” ~ Woody Hayes