The start of the year offers many people a clean slate and some new found motivation and inspiration for some new health goals – especially after an over-indulgent holiday period! And this motivation usually continues for 2-3 weeks, and then the normal routine of “life” seems to set in and we can lose some focus! So the question is…what now? Do we keep going or throw in the towel and wait for next year?

Here I’d like to share some tips with you about how you can keep on track with your health goals:

• Don’t be so hard on yourself if you “fall off the wagon”. You’ve already made some positive changes and incorporated them into your life for a few weeks. Don’t underestimate this, no matter how little; they have had a potentially huge impact on your life! You can now use this experience and tweak your routine so it’s easier to stay on track. See every day as an opportunity to practise your new lifestyle!

• Surround yourself with positive and like-minded people. “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” (Helen Keller). A group allows you to keep each other motivated and accountable, and share the wins and the challenges. It also allows you to learn how different people approach different challenges so you can try those ideas in your own life.

• Get to your true underlying goals. Ask yourself “why?” 5 times for each health goal that you have written down. I find I get to my true goal when I start getting emotional because that’s how important it really is to me. This really helps to keep you motivated when you are faced with a challenge and you have to make a choice that may affect your goal.

Try to incorporate any of these tips that resonate with you, and appreciate that your health goals are an evolving journey…so enjoy the ride and experience of learning about how your mind and body respond!

This article was written for Su Tindall from Wellness On The Move for her newsletter.

Su Tindall is a highly experienced, fully qualified, registered Remedial Massage Therapist, Certified Rolfer® (Structural Integrator), Rolf® Movement Practitioner, ChiBall™ Method Instructor, and Facial Fitness trainer among other qualifications.