WELL BEING
Get Spa Smart Resolution 2011
By Kristine Huffman, spa and wellness expert
Many of us take a look in the mirror and wish for change. We may aspire to alter the shape of our body; improve our health; nurture better relationships with family, friends or co-workers; become more inspired by our work; move to a new geographic location; or transform any number of factors that make up our busy lives.
If you desire some kind of change and want to create the best odds for success, follow Get Spa Smart Resolution 2011:
Review
Evaluate
Seek
Objectify
Launch
Validate
Evolve
Review:
Step away from all of your responsibilities and give yourself the space to look back at the flow of your life. Go to a spa, a place of worship, or somewhere in nature where the media, your friends, family and work won’t interrupt your self-reflection. Review each month of the year and ask yourself, “What was I doing? How was my body, mind, spirit?” Record any observations or important memories. You may be surprised at how many things have (or haven’t) changed for you over the last year.
Evaluate:
Next, evaluate opportunities to make the desired changes. You may want to use internet tools, like the assessments found at Revolutionhealth.com or HealthStatus.com, or engage a coach who can assist you in finding the right place to start your change process. Since studies show that behavior change is much more successful when you have dedicated support, many spas and health clubs have certified coaches on staff or can make referrals to people in your community.
Seek:
Once you have decided what you want to change, you need to figure out how to make this change possible. In many cases you will benefit from expert help in crafting your plan. Perhaps you need help from a nutritionist, a fitness instructor, a professional mentor or some guidance from a psychotherapist to find the right path towards your goal. Again, local day spas, health clubs, employment groups and on-line registries can help you connect with the experts you need.
Objectify:
Write a clear objective answering these specific questions:
- What are you going to do?
- How will you measure it?
- How much do you really want to do it? What is it worth to you?
- Can you really do it? What might get in the way?
- When are you going to start and practice this behavior?
Again, your certified coach or wellness professional can be extremely helpful in creating your objectives. They can help make sure that your intentions are sensible, specific and achievable. Commit to your written objective by telling your family and friends about it, putting reminders in visible places, and by creating a mantra, or phrase, that you can repeat in your head when you are battling temptation or negativity.
Validate:
Hands down, people make the most effective behavior changes when they commit to a specific plan and are accountable to someone or something. In the case of weight loss, several studies have shown that the simple process of writing down every single thing that passes through your lips helps you stick to a nutritional plan. This record-keeping also helps you find out what works (or doesn’t) with your plan for change. Even if you can’t regularly consult or visit specialists who can help you reach your goals, finding a supportive friend, family or group with whom you can discuss your successes or failures helps you stay on track.
Evolve:
Along the way, you need to regularly evaluate and evolve your plan to match current circumstances. We all have stops and starts, curves and bumps that life throws in our path. Success comes from having the commitment, flexibility and tenacity to stick with our vision of where we want to be.
For more information about successful behavior change, check out the following resources:
Books:
One Small Step Can Change Your Life
By Robert Mauer
Websites:
Revolutionhealth.com
Livestrong.com
Wellcoaches.com
