Lockdown Side Effects, Not Only Daily Routines But The Ever So Important Family Gatherings. What We Can Do About It!

Part 2

Have you considered what you can do to replace the things we have lost under the COVID lockdown with new positive goals and activities?

This is where creativity and self-motivation play a big part in our lives.  Change can be hard, especially when it means putting off something, we enjoy in the moment for something that is in our best interest for the future.  The reality is, we will all be in our future and the actions we do, or do not do, today will help determine how our lives will be in the years ahead.  To illustrate this point, just look back 10, 20 or even 30 years and see how quickly the time has flown by.  We were all younger once and had thoughts of what we wanted to do “in the future”.  Ask yourself this question, how many of those goals you said you wanted to do “in the future” have you actually done?  And, for those goals you thought about but put aside for later; what could your life be like today if you had made them a priority all those years ago?

We can gain more control of our personal “New Normal” by choosing to do those things today that will lead to a healthier and more productive future.  Try adding just one healthier activity to your routine and stick with it until you no longer have to think about doing it.  With that new habit established, add another new thing, then another and another.

The trick to success is taking small steps toward a larger goal.  For example, someone may decide they want to lose 50 pounds.  Well, that can be a huge undertaking as, in most cases, we do not gain 50 extra pounds in just one weekend.  A goal that big will naturally require many changes in our behavior to achieve.  The best way to approach a larger goal like that is to break it down into many smaller goals that are easier to confront and stick with.  For example, they can start with cutting down on unhealthy snacks until you automatically eat less in between meals.  Or, you may choose to cut down on chips, or soda, or high carb meals as their first goal to attain.  Then, with a good win under your belt, choose your next small goal to achieve and move forward from there.

What change are you willing to take on and what are the smaller steps you need to take to get there?

Check back on December 23 for part 3 of this discussion…