One Word that will Change your Health in 2017

Stop! Before you choose yet another resolution that you will drop like a hot potato long before February rolls around, read this post on choosing just one word that will change your health in 2017.

Have you purchased your brand-new 2017 planner yet? And written down at least 20-100 goals that you want to accomplish by March? If so, you need to put the planner down.

I say this with love. After all, I would have to be STUPID as a health coach to tell you NOT to rush into 2017 with a resolution to “get fit” or “eat healthy”. That is what I help clients do!

Yet, if all I cared about was that you have brilliant health on paper, then I wouldn’t have quit my full-time financial services job to hustle for women who care enough about their own self-care and health to invest in a better life. It’s like expecting a fitness trainer to eat fast food after a 90-minute workout. Not happening.

Planning is not a one-time process, and that’s why most plans fail. Plans are also not guaranteed, which is also why they fail. Finally, planning should not make you feel like you are poking your eye out with a stick.

[bctt tweet=”Did you know you could actually ENJOY planning? Read on to find out how.” username=”@jegoswam”]

First, you should know that I am NOT a planner. I have been known to hop on bus routes that I don’t have maps for “just to see where the road will take me”. I have traveled to countries where I can’t speak the language and don’t know anything about the local culture. And, yes, there are days (gasp!) when I have “no idea” what to serve for dinner. Actually, that’s most days…

(I am a rockstar at creating custom meal plans for my overwhelmed clients, though. Get details and schedule a consultation here)

Second of all, I personally feel that carrying around a planner is akin to wearing a pocket protector and black-framed glasses that are too big for my face. There is a certain “cool factor” that is missing, and it is about the farthest thing from BLISS I can think of.

Last, trying to plan out a whole year in advance feels too extreme and desperate to me. Since my specialty is in promising that body transformation can happen in just minutes a day, trying to conquer ALL THE THINGS in just one day is not my cup of tea.

Today is guaranteed. Tomorrow is less so. Why pin all your hopes on tomorrow, especially when you can ENJOY today?

I want to assure you that you can STILL achieve your boldest health goals WITHOUT vision boarding, planning the year out in advance, or writing down your bucket list. And, here is how you can do it.

Have you heard of the “My One Word” idea? Basically, you replace all of this crazy planning and strategy with a mission statement. That’s right- the same type of mission statement that only the most successful businesses and organizations keep in front of every single employee. A mission statement that acts as a filter, a compass, and a focus for your entire year.

Now THIS. This is something I can get behind. You may be thinking- “Well, I am NOT a business, and I don’t need to act like one!”

Hmm…are you sure you’re not a business? Because, according to statistics from the National Institute of Diabetes, over 68% of Americans are at least overweight if not obese, and the weight loss industry rakes in $60 billions of dollars every year.

The process of losing weight so you can gain health IS business. A very, very, very BIG one (no pun intended). Wouldn’t you rather be the CEO than the employee of this business?

You may be surprised to hear that I unconsciously used one word in my own 100-pound weight loss story.

You see, I am one of those rare animals who didn’t set out to lose 100 pounds. Sure, I knew that I wasn’t sitting very pretty at 280 pounds, and that change was not only inevitable but mandatory, yet I was squeamish about planning for success.

Having never dieted in my short 20 years, I had no reason to plan for success. Success just kinda happened to me, in just about every area of my life. And, sometimes it was even FUN.

• I loved school- hence, I got straight A’s, made honor roll, and took Advanced Placement (college) courses in high school, got a BA and an MA.
• I loved reading– hence, I could talk equally about Carl Jung, astrology, vampires, linguistics, speaking, negotiation, leadership, or nutrition.
• I loved dancing– hence, I took every form of dance known to women (and some unknown to man).
• I loved self-improvement- hence, I dropped 100 pounds in one year with no support or products, traveled extensively, won speech contests through Toastmasters International and earned a grad degree and certification just for the heck of it.

In a nutshell, all of these pursuits started with a single word. My weight loss journey started with a word that most 20-year olds can’t comprehend.

The one word responsible for changing my health over 20 years ago was “Longevity”.

Here is how it helped me in particular:

• Instead of focusing on convenience products that guaranteed quick results, I took the time to learn about food labels, nutrition and macros.
• Instead of killing myself with a punishing 6-week training program at the gym, I consistently moved my body in different ways every 3 months.
• Instead of jumping into every fad diet with new research to support its ludicrous claims, I focused on tweaking and improving my baseline habits.

That is just a sample of some of the ways that one word transformed my own health, even without understanding the whole concept behind one word.

So, how can you make this one word principle work for you? I’m glad you asked. Here are 5 steps to coming up with your very own one word:

1. Start with your current resolution (if you have one) or what you ideal health goal looks like.
2. Next, imagine it is December 31, 2017, and you have achieved that goal.
3. What describes how you feel on December 31, 2017 after having achieved that goal? Really sink into the feeling, and write it down in story format. This IS your story. Embellish it, cherish it, and visualize it!
4. Now, look at what you wrote. Choose one word that pops out!
5. Put that word EVERYWHERE- on a post-it on your desk, on your phone wallpaper, on your bathroom mirror, on your fridge, on your bathroom scale, etc.

This is how you choose your one word. By the way, want to know what my one word is? Come visit me on Facebook right here to see it (it’s the pinned post at the top) and how I put it into action throughout the year!

Now, it’s time to TAKE ACTION! Share with me your brand-new shiny word for 2017!