Create a Healthy Vision for the Year Ahead

Imagine it’s next December. What are you doing?  How are you feeling? How is your health? 

Have you set any specific health goals for the year? Many people start off the new year with great gusto for ‘exercising more’, ’get more sleep”, “‘more self-care’, or ‘eat healthier foods’ but for many people those resolutions have fallen by the wayside by February.    

Why do most people not stick to the good intentions they made in January?  Part of the problem may be that the goals were not SMART (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-bound) goals.  But often the problem is deeper than that: lack of motivation.

Motivation is the secret ingredient behind sticking with goals.  Deep motivation is needed to replace habits which don’t serve with ones which do.  Overcoming cravings for unhealthy food, social media scrolling, binge-watching, impulse shopping, and other negative habits require motivation if these habits are deeply entrenched.  Overcoming the fear of stepping into new territory with new habits and behaviours also requires deep motivation.

What motivates us?  We are hard-wired to avoid pain, so using pain as a motivator can help cultivate positive habits and behaviours.  To use pain as a motivator, imagine your life if you don’t achieve your goal.  Make that vision so unpleasant that NOT achieving your goal would be painful to you. 

Another way to stay motivated is to create a clear vision of what you DO want your health to be like in future.  Without a clear vision of where you want to be, you could end up anywhere.  Instead, begin with the end in mind.

Visioning also gets your brain working for you in achieving goals. By seeing a vision clearly on a regular basis, the brain’s reticular activating system (RAS) will work to make that vision a reality.  The brain must continually filter out what the subconscious mind has deemed ‘unimportant.’ Since the subconscious mind does not recognize the difference between a real and an imagined image, creating visions of a desirable future is like planting seeds of what’s important in the subconscious mind.  Information which supports that vision will be filtered as ‘important’, helping the vision become reality. 

Here are some ways you can create a healthier future using visioning techniques:

• Write down your vision of your ideal future self.

• Practice visioning your ideal future in your mind.

• Write and recite affirmations of your ideal future self in the present tense, starting with “I am …”. 

• Create a vision board of what you want to achieve and display it where you will see it every day.

Repeat all these on a daily basis.  Daily repetition will keep imprinting your brain with your ideal future. First thing in the morning and last thing before bed are ideal because your brain is in a more relaxed, suggestive state.

Theses techniques can be used for your health or any other goals you would like to achieve. Of course, you will also need to take action, but deciding where you want to go is the first step. Get clear on your vision and you’re on your way!

A great way to help improve your health is choosing to create peace and calm while you are eating.  HOW you eat can be as important as WHAT you eat.  I have a great resource for you to implement TODAY to help you become empowered in your health.  Click on the image below to receive it.