DO IT?Changing your life for the better means taking action.
Action is power
Create a personal action plan for all aspects of your life – and use it
Personal trainer
Paul O'Brien
Wellness and wellbeing, phrases are used to describe a more holistic approach to health, are popular subjects in health and fitness today. In the next few years, you’ll hear even more about them as local and national initiatives are actioned to raise the general levels of wellbeing in Ireland. To help prepare you, here’s a more in-depth definition, as well as my top tips on what you can do to bring more balance to all aspects of your life.
Wellness can be defined as a healthy balance of mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of wellbeing. Optimal wellness involves engaging in a process of change that involves becoming aware of (education) and making choices (action) that lead to a more balanced and fulfilled life. Optimal wellness is not a static target but rather a state of continually assessing opportunities for growth across all seven dimensions of living – physical, emotional, spiritual, occupational, social, intellectual and environmental.
The key words here are ‘education’ and ‘action’. Knowledge is power. This is an axiom that we have all heard many times before. However, the above definition takes the axiom a crucial step further, to action.
Knowledge in and of itself does not represent power. Only when the knowledge gained is applied does it hold the power to create change, to transform. This is a key distinction. The difference between those who achieve their lifestyle goals, or any other goal for that matter, is not that the achievers know more than the non-achievers. It is simply that they take the necessary action to empower the knowledge they have gained.
I’ll give you a good example: healthy eating. If I was to ask 100 people to list the basic principles of a healthy diet, I’d guess that at least 8 or 9 of them would include the following: lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, good quality proteins like lean meats, fish, eggs and some dairy, healthy snacks like nuts, cut right back on processed foods and have the occasional sweet treat. It’s not rocket science. The point is, most of us know this. We simply do not action what we know.
Yes, I know, it’s not that simple! There are the stresses of modern living, multiple commitments, fast living and no time to prepare healthy foods. Yes, these barriers to healthy eating do exist. What’s the key to overcoming them? You guessed it. Action.
Taking small daily or weekly actions around your diet, exercise and general health is the key to success. We have a tendency to believe that it must be an ‘all or nothing’ type strategy. In my experience, this approach doesn’t work for the majority of people. Small actions, that take minutes to effect, are more manageable and sustainable.
Take five
Here are my five top tips for creating healthy change in your life.
1. Take a self-inventory. Look at the areas of diet, exercise, work, family and time for yourself. For each category, identify one habit that is holding you back in that area. Perhaps with diet you are eating on the run too often? Or perhaps you don’t take any time out for yourself.
2. Next, make a list of three to five things you could do for each area that would make a positive difference to you. These should all be small actions that will not add more stress to your life. For example, if you are already time-restrained, determining to spend an extra hour per day with your family may be unrealistic at present and simply add more stress to your life. This could be your medium-term goal, but starting with 15 minutes may be more realistic.
3. From each list, pick one action. I would urge you to go with the one that you most resist, as this will likely be the one that will make the biggest difference.
4. Diary one action per day in your daily diary for the next week (or on your mobile, tablet or whatever you use as a diary).
5. Take action. First thing each day if possible. Do it. Do NOT leave it until the end of your day. If it’s something that you can only do at the end of the day, for example, exercise for 10-mins, then first thing you do is call a friend and arrange for them to exercise with you.
Remember, taking action is the only thing that separates those who achieve from those who don’t. Take the first step today.
Paul O’Brien is a personal trainer and life coach based in Westport.
