The Starting Line, Where Wellness Begins

By Sally Ann Nisberg

What Is Wellness?

Wellness is a choice… a decision you make to move toward optimal health

Wellness is a way of life… a lifestyle you design to achieve your highest potential for well-being.

Wellness is a process… a developing awareness that there is no end point, but that health and happiness are possible in each moment, here and now.

Now the choices you make and the chances you take will determine your future. What are your goals? How's your progress toward your goals? Are the actions you're taking (the ones that are suppose to work) moving you forward? Have you been taking the same actions over and over without the progress you want? Does something need to change? Do you know what it is? Are you open to just asking the questions?

If I were at my optimum level of health and well-being, what would that look like and feel like?
Why does this truly matter to me?
Why now?
What actions will I need to take to achieve this vision?
What will motivate me to keep taking action and sustain my vision?
How confident am I that I will achieve this vision?
How committed am I to achieving my vision?
What obstacles will I need to overcome to stay in action?
What strategies will I use to overcome my obstacles?
In what ways will my life and relationships be enhanced by achieving my vision?
What single step am I committed to taking today to begin walking towards my vision?

Change requires risk, and risk requires courage. If the changes you want to make in your life and attitudes are worth it to you, you can find that courage you need. Don't let fear keep you on the treadmill of weak habits and attitudes. If you desire it, you can achieve it. Whether your wellness hinges on lifestyle changes, making healthier choices, or enjoying a higher quality of life, education stands front a center and a wellness coach will inspire and guide you in focusing, creating and working on present and future possibilities; rather than on past experiences, or any previous mistakes. You start from today, take it from here and move forward.

Awareness is the first step. Think about your excuses for not accomplishing your goals. Everyone has his or her own pattern of procrastinating and you may recognize some of these examples:

Overwhelmed by process, self-doubt or lack of confidence
Fear of change, rejection or failure
Need for perfection
No time
Stress, pressure or anxiety that prevents action
Disorganization, indecision
Personal & professional responsibilities (big & small)

Do these excuses sound reasonable and logical? That's often the case. The problem is that if you buy into the excuses, you don't follow-through on the steps needed to achieve your goals. Fear and ultimate procrastination may feel good in the moment, but then creates stress. This becomes a vicious cycle, and simply getting into action alleviates the stress of procrastination instantaneously. Starting the race and focusing on goal-setting is a key ingredient to your success in making healthy choices. By setting and working toward goals, you can sustain the momentum of the moving forward and feeling the success you envision. A goal is something we want to achieve. It can be big or small. It can be a short-term goal (today, this week, this month) or a long-term goal (next year or ten years from now). Whether it’s a long-term goal or a short-term goal, big or small, a good goal is focused, has a realistic time frame and a realistic outcome. Setting goals helps us stay focused. Goals help us move from where we are to where we want to be and focus on the results we want to achieve.

Setting goals for each step prompts you to take ownership of important skills and behaviors for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which can be achieved in the following this simple guideline:

Decide what you want.

Identify what you want and write it down, envision yourself in your desired outcome and imagine how you will feel at the finish line. Images and feelings create the energy to inspire you. List and your goals, track your progress and get energized by your accomplishments.

Accept what is for now.

Moving toward your goals from a place of acceptance and self-love will grant you more success than if you are drowning in resistance, anger, and self-pity. Positive energy makes everything possible and will attract more good into your life. Believe that you CAN achieve your desires, and you will move in the direction of your beliefs. If you believe you can, you can; if you believe you can’t, you can’t. Having strong beliefs from a place of not having what you want now, takes imagination and will. You can do it!

Create your plan.

Whether you write a personal or professional plan, these all serve as a game plan your journey toward your goals. Be specific and leave no room for doubt or procrastination.

Develop your action & start the game.

Put your plan into action. Action takers succeed, planners just plan. The easiest way to do this is to break out your plan into action steps, and then feed the steps into your calendar where you’ll see it every day and know what to do. If you don’t finish a task today, move it to your calendar for tomorrow or the next day. Don’t let anything slip through the cracks.

Seek support and guidance.

Every journey has obstacles, and yours will probably be no exception. Set up a support system to guide and cheer you on. Every team needs a coach who will inspire, guide and root you on. Do not be afraid to ask for help when you need it, it makes everything manageable.

Track your progress.

As you start the game, take action, work your plan and track your progress. If you’re seeing success, stay on course. If you’re meeting obstacles, adjust your plan, mindset or action and be aware of your feelings, which will always guide you.

Celebrate and appreciate.

Too many times we achieve our goals, barely take a breath, and tackle the next item on our list. Take the time to celebrate your success, appreciate how far you’ve come and what you’ve achieved.

All-in-all the approach should be friendly, relaxed, and rooted in common sense. A wellness coach provides support, guidance, structure, and accountability, and each coaching session builds upon your progress, creating an accumulative effect, constantly building momentum and making progress until goals are achieved. Above all, a Wellness Coach is a good listener and will take the time to hear and assess where you're coming from.

Wellness involves good health care, self-awareness, living according to your values and beliefs, being your own best friend, realizing the value of family, friends and co-workers and enjoying an enthusiasm for work, growth and life.

Sounds simple enough, but when we look at the statistics reflecting stress, we see that too many individuals feel that they are constantly under pressure trying to accomplish more than they can handle, that a high percentage of professionals are on the verge of a breakdown and worry that they do not spend enough time with friends and family.

Whether wellness hinges on lifestyle changes, making healthier choices, or changing one’s perceptions, partnership and professional guidance by a wellness coach is significant. We all have dreams and wishes. Unless we do something about them, that is exactly what they remain. It is action that brings our dreams and wishes to life. We can do this by setting goals and taking it step by step until our goals are realized. Never be daunted by those who would discourage you. Listen to and act on your inner voice, let your life be an adventure, mistakes and all. After all, it is your life!

Sally Ann Nisberg, BS MA is president of WIN The Wellness Institute Network at www.wellnessinstitutenetwork.com