Create Your Very Own DIY Wellness Plan For 2018

I have a confession: I absolutely hate when people say “new year, new me!” -- mostly because it makes me think that you need to be a totally new person in order to have a better year than the last. Although, I have another confession: I love resolutions. I think the idea of seizing the moment to better yourself and your life is incredibly brave and courageous. Whether it’s when the new year kicks off or whenever just “feels right,” taking that step to make a positive, healthy change is definitely something to be celebrated. This year, my own personal resolution is to be more intentional with my overall well being. From what I eat to my activity levels to mental self-care, I’m striving to find more balance in my overall wellness to help create a happier, healthier me. And while the goal itself is exciting and I couldn’t be more pumped about it, it can be a little daunting to figure out how to actually get there… So, I’m making a plan to make sure I stick to my resolution and make this my best year yet. Want to join? Check out my step-by-step wellness plan below and let me know in the comments what kind of goals you hope to crush this year! P.S. Want to win a $50 Eat Well gift card? Share your wellness goals on Instagram or Facebook and tag us for a chance to win!   2018 DIY WELLNESS PLAN Step One: Set Your Goals If you’re even considering creating your own wellness plan, you probably already have a goal in mind; but this is where it gets a little more focused. Use the exercise below to set up 1 month, 3 month, and 6 month goals in each main area of wellness. Setting goals in shorter time frames like this helps you keep your progress manageable. Don’t forget to increase your goal a little bit every 3 months! Activity In 1 month, I will have successfully: (Example: In one month, I will have successfully run on the treadmill for 20 minutes 3 days per week.) In 3 months, I will have successfully: In 6 months, I will have successfully: Nutrition In 1 month, I will have successfully: (Example: In one month, I will have successfully eaten 3 full servings of vegetables 5 days per week.) In 3 months, I will have successfully: In 6 months, I will have successfully: Self-Care In 1 month, I will have successfully: (Example: In 1 month, I will have successfully gotten at least 7 hours of sleep a night for at least 3 nights per week.) In 3 months, I will have successfully: In 6 months, I will have successfully: Step Two: Identify The Essentials Now that you’ve set manageable goals for yourself (and hopefully you’re starting to get excited!), it’s time to figure out what you’ll need to reach those goals. Use the exercise below to identify your goal-crushing essentials. Activity To reach my goal of ___________, I will need: Example: To reach my goal of running a 10k in 6 months, I will need an awesome pair of running shoes from Fleet Feet Nashville and fellow runners to help challenge me, like the East Nasty Running Club. Nutrition To reach my goal of ___________, I will need: Example: To reach my goal of eating 3 full servings of vegetables 5 days per week, I will order customizable meals from Eat Well Nashville and pick up extra produce from Turnip Truck every Sunday. Self-Care To reach my goal of ___________, I will need: Example: To reach my goal of getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night for at least 3 nights per week, I will set calendar reminders on my phone and track my sleep using my iPhone’s Bedtime app. Step Three: Create An Accountability System Let’s be honest: all of the planning in the world still doesn’t mean you’re 100% going to crush your goals. That’s where your accountability system comes in. For this step, pick a person or a particular method to help you check-in with yourself and your progress to keep you on track to reaching your goals. No exercise here; this one has to be whatever works best for you. Here are a few ideas, to help you get started: Post your goals on Instagram and commit to sharing regular daily or weekly updates about your progress Share your goals with your best friend and ask them to check in with you every 3-5 days about how you’re doing Use a goal tracking app on your phone Create your own DIY written check-in system for yourself; write a sentence (or a few!) every day about what you did to actively progress in your journey to reach your goals and how it made you feel Step Four: Reward Yourself! While accomplishing your goal is a reward in itself, giving yourself a little extra incentive never hurts! Use the exercise below to determine a reward for reaching your goals at every benchmark, with the biggest reward set for the 6 month mark. When I reach my 1-month nutrition, activity, and self-care goals, I will reward myself with ____________________. (Example: When I reach my 1 month nutrition, activity, and self-care goals, I will reward myself with a pair of concert tickets!) When I reach my 3-month nutrition, activity, and self-care goals, I will reward myself with ____________________. When I reach my 6-month nutrition, activity, and self-care goals, I will reward myself with ____________________.   Well, folks - there you have it! You are all set and ready to totally crush your wellness goals making this your happiest, healthier year yet. BONUS: I’d love to hear about your goals and your progress! Share your wellness goals on Instagram or Facebook and tag us in your post (make sure the post is set to ‘public’ so we can see it!) for a chance to win a $50.00 Eat Well gift card.