This Christmas I was proud of myself for dressing “up” for an evening out. I put on a fancier sweatshirt and crocs to wish my mom Merry Christmas in her backyard. I kept my pajama bottoms the same and I did not have the energy to search for socks. It is challenging to focus on our appearance with this new world.

In November my hair was falling out, I was at my heaviest of 2020, and I couldn’t run. I had to schedule an appointment with my neurologist and rheumatologist.

I was just happy to get out of bed and if I survived until 3:00 I deserved sugar and wine. My 2020 lifestyle motto could be summed up with one word: survive. Just like many people, my overall health was on the backburner. I would occasionally lift the lid and check on the pot, but I did not have the bandwidth to focus on tending the stove. I needed to press the reset button in my life because my pot was going to burn.

I wrote this blog post in November on my reset. https://empowerfitnessstudios.com/hello-world/

I am finishing up December feeling good about the scale, my hair is growing back in, and I am running with no pain. I completed my fastest longest run in December.

My passion for wellness has defined me professionally and personally for the past 20 years. I have learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work. The aftershock of a lifestyle defined by 2020 is not ideal for managing serious health issues. There is no magic bullet with wellness. Success is not just about self control or a gym membership. When the fitness industry exploded in 1995, diabetes also followed with a smiliar trajectory.

Getting motivated to get healthy and stay healthy is challenging. There is no magic bullet around the corner.

I recommend a 4 step process.

1. Embrace the uncomfortable – For each person that is different. Personally, I feel it was important to take a photo and step on the scale in November. I shared my photo with my community and coaches. That before photo represents my heaviest weight of 2020. I was not sleeping because of pain and I couldn’t run. I was not loving my body because it was holding me back from enjoying life. I continued to love myself and did not look at that photo with shame or judgement. That photo represents a time I was in the eye of a hurricane and it was a beautiful snapshot of strength and empowerment. Get uncomfortable even if you are wearing pajamas.
2. Find the why – Now, I can just angle the zoom lens and manage my image or turn off the camera. The why needs to be more important than how I look. I stay motivated thinking about the people I have lost to chronic disease, the people I have almost lost to chronic disease, and all my time in hospitals watching people in pain. I am still angry enough with the pain to stay motivated after I watch the news. What is the why?
3. Set Short Attainable Goals – I focus one step at a time on this journey. If I drink 80 oz of water in a day I will be closer to my goal. I am not focusing on drinking 29,200 oz of water in a year.I will reward myself for sticking to the plan and I stopped making grand promises to myself. I just focus on being consistent with my short attainable goals. Build on success
4. Find someone who cares – As a fitness professional, I managed underutilized gym memberships all the time. If I noticed that a member was not coming in, I would proactively cancel their membership and contact them. Give them the time they need to come back to the program. On the other hand, I provided scholarships for those financially struggling who needed the program and made the effort to be there. I always put people first and believe revenue will follow. Find a program that puts results before revenue.

Don’t wait to get healthy. The New Year is a perfect time to press the reset button.