Common Roadblocks on Your Wellness Path

You may desire to be more fit and to eat a little healthier. You may even thrive to have sustainable financial health and admire those who seem to have it “All” together!” There is no denying that if one aspect of your life is lagging then all other aspects of your life may suffer. You can be super wealthy but if you do not exercise and move your body you could be on a path to depression or an increased likelihood of heart disease. On the flip side if you are super fit but you waste all of the money on whatever you feel you want and don’t plan responsibly for the future, you most likely could have a high stress level due to the worry of lacking financial support. Or maybe you eat super clean and workout and save your money but you lack having close and healthy relationships. You work too much and allow your diet and exercise routine to dominate your life leaving little time for visiting with friends and taking much-needed vacations which can lead to you feeling lonely. All of these scenarios are not what we are aiming for. 

I think we all can agree that achieving perfect balance is really unachievable. I say this because we all desire different amounts of life’s interest depending on our bio-individuality. For example; My need for financial freedom may look different from my friends. I may feel making $65,000 a year and saving $20,000 a year for 25 years is my idea of financial freedom and gives me comfort because that is what I achieve. Meanwhile, my co-worker could be making $125,000 a year and she is saving $30,000 a year and she stresses 24/7 that she will “never” be able to retire. Or my friend who makes $45,000 a year and saves $6,000 a year leaves her care free and she doesn’t even worry about it. You see, we all need something different and what feels balanced for one person may feel out of whack for another. The key to a happier and healthier wellness lifestyle can be accomplished to the degree you desire by breaking through the following barriers:

1. The – goal setting – barrier: Make detailed goals! If you do not take the time to write out your goals, in ALL aspects of your life, you will be left feeling an empty “this is not good enough” or “this is not working” feeling. Write out your weekly, monthly, and yearly goals in the areas of; physical health, nutritional health, occupational health, financial health, and your emotional/spiritual health. Yes, this takes more time upfront but you will be thankful you wrote them down and gave yourself a roadmap to guide you!   
2. The – there is NO time to workout – barrier! I hear this a lot from moms on-the-go and even business executives. We have the time! Yes, you have the time! We need to stop thinking that a workout must take place at the gym. You can workout in your office, at your kid’s soccer practice, on your breaks at work, and even be open to the idea of having walking meetings. Be creative and figure out ways to add movement into your existing schedule. 
3. The – I don’t know what to eat and I get bored with eating the same thing – barrier! I am a big believer in meal prepping if you are crunched for time. Take 35-45 minutes to prep 10 meals for your week. On the flip side, I get people that tell me, “I am sick of eating the same thing all the time.” If this is you, sign up for one of those healthy home delivery systems. There are companies out there that will deliver all the fresh ingredients to your doorstep with instructions on how to cook the meal.
4. The money – barrier! Save your money and stop spending it eating out! It amazes me that when a client comes to me and shares how they are having problems with their finances and they are gaining weight that they never put the two together! Every time you choose to eat out you are choosing to pay a premium   to have someone else make your food and use unhealthy ingredients. If you calculated the time you spend in a drive-through or the time you spend waiting at the restaurant I guarantee you preparing the food at home or meal prepping does not take as long and it will save you money. Next week’s time yourself every time you are at a drive-through or waiting on a meal at an eatery and add these minutes up. Then add up every dollar you spend eating out. Take the minutes spent and the money spent and the following week use that time and money to meal prep and plan your dinners. See how you come out in the end.  
5. The time – barrier! Take time for a hobby and friends! In the long run, you will be thankful you did this. Now some people take too much time for these two things and end up stressed because they have no money in the bank and very little direction on where their life is going.

Again, the key is finding your individual balance. We must all address each area of our lives with mindfulness every day. Use the Happy-Whole-You Daily Matrix to see if you are addressing these areas every day. What areas do you need a little work on? The first step is to be aware of where you need to put in a little work. Download the Happy Whole You “Circle Graph” at www.HappyWholeYou.com/shop to get the circle worksheet to help you see what areas in your life may need more attention.