5 Steps to Achieving Personal Wellness

To be healthy in a holistic sense means achieving a state of wellness in these three aspects. This state of personal wellness is something that we all desire and while lofty, it is not an impossible goal.

We all set wellness goals for ourselves, but how many of us manage to reach them? Smokers promise to quit smoking at the beginning of the year, but give in to cravings eventually. Plans to exercise regularly at a gym are not followed through. Why these goals are not achieved is most likely because there is no plan to act on. As the popular saying goes, a dream without a plan is just a wish.

Before one can achieve these personal wellness goals, a plan must be laid out. Here are five steps you can take on the road to personal wellness:

1. Create your personal definition of wellness. When you know exactly where you want to go and what to attain, it is easier to lay out a plan. Ask yourself what sustainable health and wellness changes you want to make in your life. A concrete answer to this is your wellness goal. An example of a clear, sustainable wellness goal could be to lose weight by maintaining a healthy diet and a regular fitness routine to lower your risk of heart disease.

2. Define your desired outcomes. Now that you've defined your wellness goals, you need to define what points in your life you want to change. If your goal is to lose weight, your desired outcomes could be to sign up for a gym membership or yoga class, or to follow a 1600-calorie meal plan, and so on. These concrete steps will form healthy habits that in turn become lasting lifestyle changes.

3. Have a clear motivation. You need to identify what your reasons are for setting these wellness goals. Using the weight loss example, ask yourself what motivates you to lose weight. Did a doctor warn you about the risks of obesity? Is it because you want to set a good example for your children? Whatever your motivations may be, you need to define them because these will push you to keep moving forward towards your goal.

4. Identify possible obstacles. Every journey has its obstacles. It is important for you to identify and acknowledge what can set you back from your wellness goals. If you have the tendency to eat when you're emotional, or if you're prone to laziness, recognize these obstacles and note them down.

5. Form strategies to overcome obstacles. When you've identified these obstacles, now you can form and implement realistic measures to help you overcome them. For example, to address the issue of emotional eating, you can keep healthy snacks within reach. To combat laziness when you're trying to exercise, you can exercise with a friend or schedule your workouts at a time when your energy is high. Also remember that stumbling is okay. What's important is that you get up, learn from your mistake, and stay on track.

Wellness goals, as with any, take time to achieve so you have to recognize that and set your plans at the right pace. Stick to your plan, keep evaluating and re-evaluating, and adjust as needed. Keep these steps in mind and you're well on your way to achieving personal wellness.