New Spring Resolution Eve

Welcome to Monday and the eve of your New Spring Resolutions! I trust you spent some time this weekend doing preparations to begin your NSRs tomorrow. Are you excited? Ready to move toward your goals and dreams? Excellent!

The New Spring Resolution plan you created on Friday is your map for the next nine months. Make progress and do at least one thing each and every day toward your goals. Remember, often the smallest thing done consistently is your best bet for sustainable progress.

A few other tips for your success:

• Put the key dates into your calendar
• Share your NSRs with your family and friends and ask them to be your cheerleader
• Revisit your exercises if you need some extra motivation (Plus Ten is a great one).

For added help, I've included answers to some of the questions we've received in hopes that they'll help you, too.

Q: Spring doesn't start until March 20. Why are we starting on March 1?
A: Spring has begun already, no matter what our calendars say. The signs of Spring have already started so we're going to begin, too. Yes, the Spring equinox is on March 20 but the buds are beginning to bud, the sun is brighter and the air is starting to smell like Spring (go ahead... go outside and sniff!).

Q: What if I reach my goals early?
A: Congrats! I like the positive thinking! If you reach your NSR goals early: 1 - Celebrate and 2 - Make new goals.

Q: What if I miss a goal?
A: Keep working at it, even if you miss a deadline. If you feel really discouraged and want to quit, take some time first to reflect and re-assess. It may be helpful to go back to the exercises and evaluate your goals. Make new ones (even if they are small in comparison to your original goal) and keep working at it. If you need some encouragement, go to the Cybercise Facebook page and ask for help (lots of friendly helpful people over there).

Q: Why do we only work on our resolutions until November 30, 2011?
A: We are helping you create a life-long habit of making goals and moving toward them. Part of doing so well includes time to rest and reflect so during December 2011 and January 2012, you'll rest and dream (and enjoy holiday festivities). By giving yourself time to know your authentic self and what is really important to you, you'll be better ready to start creating your 2012 NSRs which we'll do in February 2012.


If you have other questions, you can post comments here, visit our Facebook page or write to us at customerservice@cyber-cise.com



New Spring Resolutions: Deadlines

Welcome to Friday! As promised, today we are going to put some deadlines to the five steps you created yesterday. The idea with steps and deadlines is to allow yourself an organized way to get closer to your goals, and give you plenty of opportunities to celebrate small accomplishments on your way to the big goal. Yes, celebrate! We encourage you to think of rewards you will enjoy as you complete each step. Don't forget, wellness includes having fun!

You may find as you attach deadlines to your steps, you have to make some changes. Please don't feel pressured to put too much pressure on yourself. If creating the deadlines makes you also reconsider your goals, feel free to do so. You are creating a plan for you so be sure it will work in your life. And, remember, even the smallest change can make all of the difference. Plus, it is perfectly wonderful if you acheive your New Spring Resolutions before November 30th and want to revisit this exercise and create new ones. Bonus points for those who do... be sure to let me know!

To create your deadlines, you may find it easiest to create another column on the chart like so:

After you have your deadlines established, please enter them into whatever manner of calendar tool you use. If you're using an electronic calendar, it may be helpful to set reminders for yourself far enough in advance so you'll be sure to continue making progress.

This weekend, invest some time in doing some prepartion so you'll be ready to begin on March 1st. Let's say for example, your Eat. goal was to eat at least 10 home-cooked meals each week. This weekend would be a great time to find some new recipes, clear your pantry of the processed, fake-food stuffs you won't need anymore, plan your meals for the upcoming week, make a grocery list and go to the store. With all of that accomplished by Monday you'll be well on your way toward your New Spring Resolution goal!

Monday we're going to have one final piece before you begin your New Spring Resolutions on Tuesday, March 1st. Between now and then, enjoy your weekend, give yourself some time to prepare and be sure you get lots of rest. Spring is springing!!

New Spring Resolutions: The Steps

Happy Thursday! Here's is where things get fun in the creation of your New Spring Resolutions. If you completed the assignments this week you now have three goals to work on between now and November 30, 2011. Today we're going to create the steps to get to your goals.

For each goal, write down five things you will do between March 1st and November 30th to reach your goal. Your steps should be achievable and yet not so easy you won't have to invest any effort. The reward is often in the doing. This chart may help get you organized:

Tomorrow, we'll put a little meat on these bones with deadlines. Have a terrific evening!

New Spring Resolutions: The Plan for Be.

Welcome to Wednesday and the ongoing development of your New Spring Resolutions. Thus far this week we have created a goal for your exercise and food between now and November 30, 2011. If you're only now joining us, you can go here to catch up on the discussion from last week (you will need the exercises from last week to complete today's assignment).  If you created a mind map it will be useful for today's assignment.

Today we are going to create a goal for how you'll Be. between now and November 30, 2011. The Be. portion of our approach to wellness is about happiness, fulfilment, your purpose in life, the difference you want to make, your relationships and the reason you get out of bed in the morning. Having a clear sense of who you'll Be. in this world is a great way to create a life well lived. Come on! Let's create a great life!

Last week you created three lists:

• Dreams - What are your dreams for your life.
• Surrender - What you could stop holding onto.
• Change - What you would change so something in your life is different 10 years from now.

Take a look at your lists. What really jumps out at you? Did you re-kindle a dream (or find a new one)? Did you recognize you might be better off allowing a change you've been guarding against? Perhaps the realization of how quickly time passes with the Plus Ten exercise will redirect some of the things you do today. Pick one thing from your list and create a goal to get there. Of course, some of the things on your list might be multi-year projects (i.e., finish college or get a new job) so choose a goal you can accomplish over the next 9 months that will get you closer (i.e., submit college applications or job training).

I encourage you to spend some time with this particular assignment. The more thoughtful, the more powerful. When you're ready, complete the following statement:

• Be.: By November 30, 2011, I will (enter your goal)

Tomorrow, we'll start working on your plan. Have a great evening!

New Spring Resolutions: The Plan for Eat.

Happy Tuesday and welcome to today's assignment for creating your New Spring Resolutions. Yesterday, you created a goal for your physical activity between now and November 30, 2011. Today, we're going to do the same for your food and nutrition.

The assignment is simple. In your NSR journal complete the following:

• Eat.: By November 30, 2011, I will (enter your goal).  

Some ideas to help you along...

• Eat at least 7 servings of vegetables each day
• Eat processed food less than 3 times per week
• Make my own lunch at least 4 times per week
• Eat fast food less no more than once per month
• Learn to cook one new dish per week
• Reduce the amount of red meat to 1 or 2 times per week
• Eat foods with sugar less than 4 times per week
• Have less than 3 cans of soda
• Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day

The possibilities are endless! What you may notice is the sample goals above are specific and measurable. You are much more likely to achieve your goals if you make the goal very clear and something you can count. Otherwise, you may be left to "think" you're doing better (which is kinda like cheating). Remember, your goal for today is to create your goal. You can, of course, have more than one goal, just remember you're best served by making small changes you can stick with over time.

Until tomorrow...

New Spring Resolutions: The Plan

Happy Monday! Welcome back to the final countdown to creating your New Spring Resolutions (NSRs) for 2011. First, let's go over what is in store for you this week and then we'll get to today's assignment.

This Week
Over the five days of this week we are going to: identify and prioritize your NSRs; create steps to get closer to each resolution; and then, on Friday, you'll create some deadlines for each step. Next weekend, you can devote some time making preparations so you're ready to begin your NSRs on Tuesday, March 1st.

To identify and prioritize your NSRs we're going to follow the framework of Move.Eat.Be.. Using this structure is a terrific way to ensure your goals are balanced and you're progressing in each key area of your life (exercise, nutrition and happiness). I also want you to think about your NSRs as 9-month projects. In other words, what you decide to do you will start on March 1st and finish on November 30th (more about that on Thursday).

Today's Assignment: Move.
Today's assignment is to create a New Spring Resolution for your physical activity (aka Move.). If you don't think you need to add an exercise component to your NSRs, I encourage you to think again. Every one of us has some room for improvement with their physical activity. Ideally, you will exercise each day and, over the course of each week, do some cardio, strength training, flexibility and core work.

Your NSR for Move. is your goal. Ask yourself, "On November 30, 2011, I'll have succeeded in my Move. NSR if I (fill in the blank)." If you're having some trouble filling in the blank, here are some questions to help:

• What kind of improvement would you like with your physical being? Weight loss, better muscle tone, more flexibility, improved balance, better sleep... 
• What type of exercise do you think you need the most? Cardio, strength, flexibility, core.
• Are there any medical or health conditions you would like to improve? High blood pressure, diabetes, insomnia, depression...

When you've given yourself some time to consider, record the following in your NSR journal:

• Move.: By November 30, 2011, I will (enter your goal).  

Simple! We'll work on how you're going to get to your goal on Thursday and Friday. For now, think about how good you're going to feel when you're there. Have a great evening!  

Resolution Map

As you work on your New Spring Resolutions reflection assignments this weekend, I thought this little trick might help. Create a mind map!

Mind maps are a great way to organize your thoughts and a very powerful tool for your reflection weekend as it puts all of the exercises on one piece of paper. You can copy and paste the map outline below to your computer, print it and start adding bubbles on each arm of the map. Yesterday's blog post includes handy links to each of the exercises if you need a reminder.

Have some fun creating your map and get ready for next week!