TIP TUESDAY: Prioritize Your Health

Work meeting – check.  Project deadline – check.  Bill payment – check.  When it comes to scheduling our daily deadlines, we do it without much thought.  But, when it comes to taking care of ourselves, we usually do not make time for it or say that there is no time.  However, why would you not treat your overall well-being with the same urgency?  I am not talking about just scheduling that massage.  I am talking about scheduling time to exercise and prepare meals.  I bet if I looked at your calendar, I can find pockets of time that are free.  I can even tell by looking at my social media feeds.  One of my clients said that if she did not have her scheduled session with me, she probably would not workout.  In a nutshell, it all boils down to accountability.  So, how do you make yourself accountable?  Let me give you some tips to get you started.

Prioritize Your Health (Photo from www.betterbodysandiego.com)

1) Schedule Sundays
Sunday is the best day to plan out your week.  Get in the habit of scheduling, whether it is for a workout or planning your meals.  Use the reminder function for your calendar, so that you receive notices right to your phone.  Sunday is considered a cooking day in my house, where you have a full day to cook items that require several hours, such as soups and slow-cooked proteins.  When I review my clients’ food diaries, their poor choices are usually attributed to poor planning.  Use Sunday to package your snacks and prepare food for breakfast and lunch.  Weekday mornings, especially Mondays, are hectic enough.  Make your life less stressful by planning ahead.

2) Be Prepared 
Even when you are proactive and schedule, sometimes you forget items, such as workout pants or your lunch.  Leaving physical reminders or having back-up is key.  Have your gym bag packed and leave it by the front door.  Have spare snacks and gym shoes at the office.  By creating these habits, it soon becomes automatic.

3) Partner Up
If you have a hard time getting motivated to workout, consider working out with a friend.  The advantage with having a workout partner is that you become accountable to each other, while providing each other a system of support.  It is also an economical solution when working with a personal trainer.

4) Create S.M.A.R.T Goals
When setting goals, they should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

Specific
If you create specific goals over general goals, your chances of accomplishing it is much greater.  To set a specific goal, ask yourself six questions:
- Who:  Who is involved?
- What:  What do I want to accomplish?
- Where:  Identify a location.
- When:  Establish a time frame.
- Which:  Identify requirements and constraints.
- Why:  Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

For example, a general goal would be, “Get healthier.”  A specific goal would be, “Join a gym and workout three times a week.”

Measurable
Setting concrete criteria for measuring progress toward attainment of the goal, will keep you on track, measure your progress and help you stay on track.  A measurable goal will answer three questions:

- How much?
- How many?
- How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable
This term stresses the importance of a goal that is realistic and attainable.  When you identify goals that are important to you, you develop skills, abilities and attitudes to achieve them.  This may bring you toward previously overlooked opportunities in obtaining your goal.

Realistic
In order for a goal to be realistic, it has to represent an objective for which you are willing and able to work.

Timely
Your goal should have a timeline, otherwise there is no sense of urgency to complete it.

Remember, when you are scheduling, there also needs to be a balance.  Good eating habits, exercise and relaxing go hand in hand.  With balance in your life, you can help lower stress levels and and perhaps enjoy life a little more!

Ready to get fit?  Learn more about SKo-Fit or call for an appointment at (773) 415-3881.  Follow Suzanne Ko on twitter and friend her on facebook.