Health – Healthy start: dream big, plan small

As a coach who spends a fair chunk of my day talking to people about their goals, I admit that I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions, especially when it comes to health.

Everywhere I look I see people sharing their resolutions – what they want to achieve, what they are going to give up, all declared with the energy and enthusiasm that a new year brings.

Once we get back to work and regular routines, it becomes a bit overwhelming and the great intentions can get pushed onto the back burner.

If this sounds familiar, I suggest instead: dream big, but plan small.

If, for example, you want to lose 20kg, have this as your overall target, but plan small and focus on the actions required to lose the first kilo. Once you’ve lost that kilo, focus on what you need to do to lose the next one. Losing 20kg feels like a huge undertaking – one kilo is far more manageable.

If your goal is to run a marathon, focus on the first 5km and work your way up from there.

To make consistent progress, focus on a 10 percent improvement in the important lifestyle areas, to get to the next level in your health journey.

To get you started:
• Food: Being organised and having a meal plan is a huge step in taking control of your eating, but you don’t have to plan all your meals. Start with dinner as it’s the meal that can go awry when we are busy and tired. If we don’t have a satisfying meal, the after-dinner snacking becomes a lot more tempting! Create a dinner plan for the week and once you’ve got this established, the next step is to include lunch and breakfast.
• Sleep: Poor sleep can impact energy levels and  appetite the next day. Start by going to bed 15 minutes earlier each week and notice the difference in your energy levels and mood the next day.
• Water: An optimal level of water for most people is 6-8 glasses of water per day, especially in warmer weather. If you’re only having three glasses, increase it to four and then add in an extra glass each week.
• Exercise: If you have been sedentary, start with 10 minutes of light exercise per day and increase this in 5-minute increments, working towards 30 minutes per day.
• Alcohol: drinking every night? Cut it back to every second night. Then just in the weekends. This will make a big difference to your liver, metabolism, hormone balancing and sleep.

It’s wonderful to have fresh energy as you head into the New Year, but to achieve your goals, you need the momentum to last. Plan small, make it achievable and the wins will provide the confidence to take the next step. All those steps can add up to impressive results.