How To Make 2013 Your Best [and healthiest] Year

I have been toying with the idea of writing this post for quite some time, but each time I start a draft I worry that I will come across as pompous or arrogant. Before I start I’d like to set the tone – the tips I am about to share with you are ones that I have been trying to incorporate into my life over the past few months. I am not a life coach or a spirit guide, I am just like you. Battling life’s ups and downs are inevitable, but the way you handle them play an important role and in defining who you are. I am hoping that I can share just a bit on insight with you on how I have significantly improved my quality of life and healthy over the past six months. I’m sure nothing I am writing will be new to any of you, but maybe – just maybe hearing it again will help it to stick.

Make 2013 Your Best and Healthiest Year

Sometimes all you need to do is smile.

1. Give yourself an attitude check. As Henry Ford once said, whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right. It is so easy to get down on yourself when things don’t go as planned. Changing your mindset and adapting a more positive outlook on life will help you to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Appreciate the small successes, over time this will add up and you’ll realize that things aren’t so bad. For me it helps to eliminate can’t, won’t, and shouldn’t from your vocabulary. Remember, you can do anything if you set your mind to it.

 

1. Surround yourself with positive and driven people. The more you witness success, the easier it is to believe that you too can achieve it. Now I’m not telling you to ditch your friends who are going through rough times, just find other way to connect with happy people. . I am extremely lucky that my boyfriend has always been positive and supportive of me – without him I would not be the person I am today and I do not take this for granted even for a second. I have also made an effort to follow people that inspire me on Twitter, Instagram and through blogs – sure we aren’t “real life” friends but their outlook on life still rubs off on me [and I hope I be that person for you].

 

1. Set goals. Nothing new here – if you have something to work toward you’ll push yourself harder. It is so important to set measurable goals for yourself and to have a plan to achieve success. No, you don’t need to write it down or create a vision board [but you can if you want to] but make sure you share your goals with others – this will help keep you accountable. I prefer to set a lot of small goals because it is rewarding and motivating for me. At the beginning of January I challenged myself to do at least 10 push ups a day for the entire month. The task itself wasn’t extremely tough, however, being able to stick to something every day for 31 days was mentally tiring. I am proud to say I completed my challenge without skipping a day and I have continued to do my 10 push ups everyday. My new goal for February is to do one minute of planks a day [feel free to join me on this one] – so far so good. If you prefer to dream bigger – good for you, just make sure you have a plan and path to help you reach your goals.

 

1. Splurge. Whether it is treating yourself to an expensive handbag you’ve been eying for months or a day at the spa- remember life is for living. The key is moderation. If you treat yourself all the time it will no longer be a splurge and thus not as satisfying. I like to celebrate my successes with a bit of splurging – usually in the form of shopping, or pampering. I have become a firm believer than hard work deserves reward.

 

1. Eat a healthy diet. I’m sure you’ve heard they saying “you are what you eat” many times before [and thought, hmmm I don’t remember eating a sexy beast for breakfast – kidding!] but we often forget how much validity that statement has. If you eat crap, you will feel like crap – easy as that. Sticking to non processed, home cooked meals will give you the energy you need to make it through the day. Eating well will keep you mentally and physically alert. If you’ve been focusing on calories in vs calories out – perhaps now is the time to try something new. I challenge you to try eating only non processed food for two weeks and make note of your energy levels and moods. This doesn’t mean you have to give up everything you love, just get creative. Focus on eating dark leafy greens, protein and complex carbohydrates with every meal. Food is fuel, but it should also taste good – do a bit of googling and you can find a plethora of healthy living blogs with more recipes than you could ever imagine making.

 

1. Get moving. Exercise releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy [legally blonde anyone?]. Working out has helped give me confidence – find something you enjoy and stick with it. It shouldn’t be a chore to exercise when you find your niche. Everybody is different – do what you love, even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone. Just a warning though, if your sole reason to exercise is to lose weight – go back to the last tip, you can’t out exercise a bad diet. Getting your blood pumping is important to develop and maintain a strong body – it should be something you want to do for life, not just to shed a few pounds.

 

1. Do what you love. This is pretty self explanatory – don’t just go through the motions, find something you are passionate about and find a way to make it part of your life. For me this blog is my outlet – thanks to my wonderful readers [that’s YOU] I am able to follow my heart and share my life.

 

I know the focus of my blog is mainly beauty, style and recipes – but finding happiness, health and fulfillment is a huge part of who I am. I hope you enjoyed reading – even if it is a bit different [and much more text heavy] than usual.

xo Lauren