Make A Change To Make A Difference: Ready, Set, Go!

Changing behavior is one of the most difficult things to do in life and do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Although “change” is a simple word, the process of change is complicated. If you have diabetes (or any medical condition that can improve with lifestyle changes), wish to lose weight or want a better relationship, your readiness to change will make the difference in your long term success.
Being diagnosed with an illness is difficult to digest. Desperately wanting to lose weight after many failed weight loss attempts will not make losing weight easier. In order to get on the right track to reach your goals, you must get “ready”.
“READY” is defined as, “completely prepared” or “in condition for immediate action”. Therefore one of the best ways to ensure you will achieve your health goals is to get ready.
Make weekly appointment with youself. Set a date and time, put it on the calendar or you may never get the time you need to take care of yourself. Then determine what your goals are and prepare for action. This is all about Y-O-U! So, you will be the best person to determine what your goals are. No one else can tell you how to prioritize your life. You do not have to do this alone you can enlist a friend, family member or healthcare expert to help. I think its best to get as many people who are willing to support you on board as possible. Be honest with yourself; make sure those who support you provide unconditional help. Be prepared to deal with those who are not supportive.
GET SET:
List your goals.
List specific actions that must be made.
Describe how you will execute your plan.
List behaviors that will contribute to success.
Think about the barriers you will have to overcome and plan on how to change your behavior to achieve victory.
Learn from mistakes and plan for success the next time you experience a pitfall.
Accept the fact that changing behavior is not easy and you will experience setbacks.
Ask yourself:
How will I learn new behaviors and let go of poor behaviors?
How can I anticipate a behavior relapse?
How can I maintain motivation?
What are the benefits?
What are the drawbacks of my changes?
GO: No one else can do this for you but you. Denial and avoidance will get you nowhere. Take the bull by the horns and GO for a healthy lifestyle. It will likely be an opportunity for improved quality of life and good health for the whole family.