6 Steps Toward Shaping Your Optimal Wellness Plan

Many of us desire to change and want to improve our level of wellness, but lack an actionable plan. This article has six steps to guide you through a mindful approach toward achieving your health and wellness goals, and making positive lifestyle changes. When these six steps are put into practice, they can improve your health and quality of life.

Step #1: Define your personal image of wellness

In order to meet your goals it helps to know exactly what you are setting out to achieve. Envision yourself being transformed into your best self. Clarify what you want to look or feel like that will signify your success. For example, "My wellness vision for the next three to six months is to exercise regularly and eat a nutritious and balanced diet so I can lower my risk for heart disease."

Your vision should constitute a written statement that embodies the long term health and wellness change you want for your life. Put your personal vision statement in a strategic place where you will likely be reminded of your wellness image. The value of defining your personal wellness image helps you to take responsibility for your health and create a focal point, as you prepare to engage in wellness activities that align you with your goals.

Step #2: What are your desired outcomes?

Identify exactly what you want to change, based on your wellness vision. Perhaps you want to exercise three time a week, eat 3 to 4 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, or lower your blood pressure to a healthy range. The detailed results you seek for your health help to make concrete goals out of your visions. Your desired outcomes shape the results of your vision, as well as the day to day and week to week modifications that become lasting lifestyle changes.

Step#3: Clarify your motivation for wellness

Knowing what is driving you helps you to maintain focus when you move toward your goals. A vision to lower your risk for heart disease may be motivated by a physician's diagnosis of high blood pressure, and you are concerned because high blood pressure runs in your family. Perhaps you recognize the importance of being a healthy role model for your family, or you may have just reached the point where you made up your mind to improve your overall appearance.

Whatever your motivations for wellness may be, it will serve as your driving force during moments of weakness. Your motivations are quite powerful, and with them you are very likely to achieve your wellness vision.

Step#4: List your potential obstacles

It is essential to face the fact that there are certain things that will get in the way of achieving your vision. If you find yourself refraining from exercise because of tiredness, eating when you are under stress, or not following a prescribed medication regiment, take note of these shortcomings. Your recognition of stumbling blocks early in the process helps to acknowledge what could get in the way of your vision.

Step #5: Create realistic strategies to overcome obstacles

Removal of obstacles by implementing strategies helps to increase our confident in achieving success. Recognize what you are willing and able to overcome. Derive creative, yet practical ideas to circumvent barriers. Perhaps adjusting the time of day you exercise to when you are at your peak energy level, practicing deep breathing exercises while repeating a meditative phrase when stressed, or utilizing a member of your support system to remind you to take your medication might be realistic methods for avoiding obstacles. If you stumble along the way, it's okay! The key is to forgive yourself off and get back on track.

Step #6: Plan your first steps toward your vision

This is when you develop your goals to reach what you have envisioned for yourself.

Specific - The more specific your goal, the more likely you will be able to see results. By saying you want to be healthy is great, but that does not specify how or why. Do you want to cut out junk food, exercise regularly, or learn how to manage your stress better?

Measurable - Perhaps you want to improve your diet by increasing your fruit and vegetable intake. Such an improvement can be measured by making a personal decision to challenge yourself to begin eating three servings of each daily. Perhaps it is helpful to keep a log of your daily meals, and reviewing your patterns on a weekly basis. It will give you a gage of where you are in reaching your goals.

Achievable - If you believe that you can do something and set a goal towards it, you will achieve it. The plan you put in place should reflect how you will make this goal attainable. It will boost your confidence when you document the steps involved.

Realistic - Many people fail to reach their goals because they set the standard too far above what is achievable in an unrealistic timeframe. Yes, challenge yourself past your comfort zone, but not in a way that sets you up for failure. Setting a goal to lose 10 pounds in one week is clearly unhealthy and not likely to be permanent. The quick weight loss diets that are on the market may promise remarkable results, but they cannot guarantee permanent change.

Timely - By pacing yourself toward your goals, you allow yourself time to achieve it. Set small weekly goals as benchmarks toward your overall vision. Reevaluate your goals on a weekly basis to assess what has worked or what interventions you need to help yourself along. Remember, it takes three to six months for new habits to become permanent and to begin to see noticeable changes.