Now that we’re a quarter into the year, here’s a question for you: How are your New Year’s resolutions going? If you notice that you’ve been slacking off on your healthy lifestyle goals, it’s not too late to turn things around. Here’s how you can stay on top of your health goals throughout the year:

Recall your “whys”

Once you realize you’ve been straying from the path to a healthy lifestyle, revisit your “whys.” What do you plan to achieve when the year ends? Why are you pursuing these specific goals? Answering these questions will help clear your mind and set your intentions straight. When you start to waver on your goals, remember why you made them in the first place.

Create an action plan

You’re most likely to lose your way when you don’t have a concrete action plan. To create one, you have to first be clear about what your goals are. Is it to be able to lift a specific weight? Is it to get an adequate amount of sleep or to be able to whip up a healthy meal on your own?

Once your goals are clear, ask yourself what specific actions you should take to achieve it. If your goal is to get eight hours of sleep a night, your action plan could include turning off gadgets an hour before sleep, meditating at night, or having a wind-down routine. Your action plan doesn’t have to be super detailed. What’s important is you’ve got a guide that can help you get back on track every time you find yourself off course.

Focus on smaller goals

One of the biggest reasons we are easily demotivated is because we keep attempting to accomplish huge goals that aren’t sustainable. Get abs in one week? Swim eight laps as a beginner? Switch off your phone every weekend? These are obviously unrealistic. And then when a particularly lazy day comes, you’ll be tempted to give up on your goals.

Don’t expect to see results overnight – you’ll be disappointed. Instead of setting unrealistic standards, create smaller, achievable goals. It could be 10 minutes of exercise a day, giving up one sweetened beverage, or swapping white rice for brown rice – even if it’s just for one meal. Focusing on smaller goals will help build up your confidence and help you aim higher.

Change your environment

Your environment can either motivate you or drag you down. Tidy up your place, put your vitamins on the table so you don’t forget to take them, and store your workout equipment somewhere easily accessible so you can’t make excuses. Prime your environment for success. Don’t give yourself excuses to fail.

Be consistent

You can make as many action plans as you want or be the most highly motivated person in the room but if you aren’t consistent, all that goes to waste. Consistency sets habits and creates lasting results for your health and your lifestyle in the long run. And isn’t that the ultimate goal?

Get back on track

Make it your mission in life to get back up as many times as you get knocked down. Not every day is going to be a good day. You’ll fall short so many times but what’s important is you keep showing up for yourself every day. Get back on track, stick to your action plans, be consistent, and you’ll see changes soon enough!

Believe in yourself

All of your health and life goals have one thing in common: you. Whether you fail or achieve them, it’s you who deals with the results. If you’ve experienced the former, your knee-jerk reaction is to probably beat yourself up for not hitting your objectives. But you have to remember that you won’t achieve anything if you don’t trust and believe in yourself. Hit a rough patch? Pick yourself up, start over, practice self-compassion, and have faith that you have the abilities to reach your goal. Don’t underestimate how crucial self-belief is!

Get an accountability partner

Sometimes, relying on yourself to accomplish a goal gets too much. But don’t beat yourself up. Instead, enlist an accountability partner to help maintain your progress. The right people will support you on your journey and help you see it through. So find your #PartnerForLife who can help you be accountable for your progress and push you to achieve your goals. Remember, health is wealth! Good health is key to living life on your own terms so don’t lose sight of your health goals.

Sun Life’s newest health campaign, the Wheel of Life, aims to inspire Pinoys to live life on their own terms – whether they’re pursuing dreams, caring for their family, or enjoying their hard-earned wealth. The key to living life to the fullest is a great balance of a healthy lifestyle while securing oneself with a health protection plan. To find out how you can protect your health, visit www.sunlife.co/WheelofLife.

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