You have high hopes heading into the New Year.  You’re clear on your goals and you’ve determined steps for achieving them.  Your new year of life is looking bright, and no one can stop you!  But then…

Life happens.

You or one of your loved ones catches the latest winter bug going around.  Or you have big projects with fast-approaching deadlines to complete at work.  Or your parents are aging, and you decide to spend more time helping them do things around the house.  Or you begin a new semester and all the things you’ll have to do in a few short months are glaring at you from the syllabus.  Or you’re realizing the toll a new baby AND a toddler are taking on your energy.  Or your best friend is getting married, and you’ve taken on the role of bachelorette party coordinator…for 11 bridesmaids.

Can you relate?

It seems even when we set out with the best intentions to create a healthier life, things inevitably try to get in the way.

So, what do we do?

There is one big mindset shift that can change everything, and help you make progress on those goals:

Viewing healthy living as your great life experiment.

What does this mean?  Rather than looking at our goals as win-lose (it’s a win when you achieve them, and a lose when you don’t), you can look at them as win-learn¹.  When you decide to learn from yourself and about yourself while working to achieve your goals, you find meaning even in the times you don’t succeed.  

You gather information, much like any scientist, from what worked, what didn’t work, and from there, you can determine what to do next time.  As you acquire information, you find ways to creatively overcome the obstacles that arise when “life” happens.

Additionally, you eliminate all or nothing thinking.  This mindset is more of a hindrance than a help on the path toward a healthier life.  All or nothing thinking says “I missed that workout, so I guess I’ll quit going to the gym this week, and start again next week,” or “I ate more sweets than I wanted to this morning.  I’ve blown it trying to eat healthier, so I’ll eat whatever today and try again tomorrow.”

All or nothing thinking tells us if we’re not PERFECTLY performing, we might as well not try at all.  But win-learn thinking tells us “Hey, that didn’t work, but what are the takeaways?  How can I be successful later today?”

Eliminating this perfectionism allows us to show kindness to ourselves.  I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather follow a thoughtful, kind leader than a harsh taskmaster. 

If you find yourself struggling to keep up with the goals you set for 2020, don’t despair.  Instead, find ways to adopt win-learn thinking and see those small wins add up to something big.

If you’d like assistance changing your mindset, you’re in the right place!  As wellness coaches, we coach you through setting and reviewing goals, so you can have dedicated time to being the investigative scientist into your own life.  Ready to make a dent in those goals?  Sign up for wellness coaching today!

Another helpful resource:  “Never press ‘pause’ on your health and fitness again.”²

Written by:
Brittni Paris
Wellness Coach & Blogger

Credits:
¹Moore, M., Tschannen-Moran, B., & Jackson, E. (2016). Coaching psychology manual (2^nd edition). Wolters Kluwer.  
²Precision Nutrition:  precisionnutrition.com
Photo by Charlotte Karlsen on Unsplash
Photo by Science in HD on Unsplash
Photo by Nicklas Bajema on Unsplash