What can accountability mean for your health in 2020

February 3, 2020 | Blog, Wellbeing

Sabrina is a certified nutrition coach, NASM personal trainer and DNA practitioner. She has different programs that adjust to your needs. One of her programs is the Accountability program. If you’re interested to know more, contact her directly through email.

Accountability means taking responsibility

I want you to look back on this first month of 2020 and ask yourself, and be honest here, how are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? Are you on track to start your second month on a high, or have you found yourself making excuses on why you’ve already fallen off the wagon? Did you get an answer? Good, now hold that thought.

Research has shown that the majority of adults make New Year’s resolutions. Still, less than 10% actually manage to keep them for more than a couple of months. And amongst the most common resolutions? Losing weight and exercising more – no surprise there.

All resolutions are about bettering ourselves, changing habits, and breaking a pattern of behaviors that have been a part of us for a long, long time. But doing this is not an easy task. One of the best tools that I go back to time and time again is applying the concept of accountability to my life.

Accountability means taking responsibility for the actions and choices that we make every single day of our lives. From what we choose to do as soon as our eyes pop open, to the very, VERY last thing we choose to do right before we drift off to dreamland. Each one of these choices affects the next, and the one after that, and the one after that. A domino effect that can literally change the path of your life and how you get to experience it.

I know, I know – this whole accountability thing is way easier said than done. Well, I’m here to share a few tips on how to accomplish your goal and make those resolutions stick through 2020 and beyond. Don’t say I never did nothing for ya!

LIVE BY EXAMPLE

As women who have people relying on us – partners, children, employees – we must be role models of the behavior we want to see in ourselves. Remember, what we do affects the people that we love, that we lead, that we inspire. This is a great motivator for us to stay on the right path and make the best choices for ourselves, and for them.

LOOK FOR SOMEONE THAT INSPIRES YOU

Find a buddy, a coach, someone that will hold you accountable. Someone you feel compelled to answer to and will not accept your excuses. They will push you to get out of bed and get that run in before heading to work. Hit the gym instead of binging on The Witcher (holler to my Cavill fans out there). Someone who will not let you order the dessert you know you don’t need.

TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR RESOLUTIONS

When you tell everyone around you that you have made these fancy New Year’s resolutions, it drives you to try harder. After all, you want to save face with the people you’ve told about your plan to diet or workout. You want to be able to see them next time and tell them how well everything is going. How you feel better. How you are sticking to it. Because we all love someone that can set a goal and stick to it.

STOP BEING A VICTIM AND BLAMING OTHERS

To see the changes you want, you will need to stop yourself when you begin making excuses or blaming someone else. You are the one that can decide to make a change. You are the one that has the power to choose. You are the one with the power to make your life look like what you want it to look like.

SET SMALL GOALS FOR YOURSELF

You might want to lose 20lbs by next year (which is totally doable by the way), but that’s a LONG term goal. Setting up mini-goals along the way, signposts that will allow you to feel you are progressing will make that journey more comfortable. Maybe this month you commit to doing five hours of exercise every week. Then next month commit to six hours a week. And then keep it going. But you can start even smaller. Add one glass of water a day. Add some veggies to one meal.

MAKE YOUR GOALS ATTAINABLE AND SMART

Thinking that you will lose 20lbs in eight weeks might seem like an amazing idea at the time, but it’s actually not smart or healthy – in reality, you’re setting yourself up for failure. When trying to lose weight, expect to do it in a reasonable time. That goes to anything you’re trying to achieve. Be honest with yourself about the time it will take. With what you can do with your time. With what your body will allow you to do. And build towards a goal you CAN accomplish. Be realistic, and you will be much more successful.

CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS

Every time you achieve one of your mini-goals. Pat yourself on the back and call yourself: Awesome! Because you are. Being your own cheerleader will change your outlook on life, removing the negativity of “I can’t” to the positivity of “I CAN.”

It’s up to you and you alone to make the decisions to make your life all you want it to be. The tips above will help you get there, the commitment you make to yourself will get you there.