“We just decided that it was time we both got on top of our nutrition and lose some weight”

“I just decided that I needed to start moving more”

“I was tired of being tired all of the time”

“The kids were gone and I felt it was time…”

I’ve heard it.  You’ve heard it.  You may have even said it.

Being ready for change is the single biggest part of actually making change.  As a good friend of mine has often said – you can’t push a rope.  It doesn’t matter how much you hear the information.  You’ve read the literature, listened to the newscasts, had your doctor waggle their finger at you.  None of it makes a lick of difference until you decide that ‘it’s time’.

So, what can you do to help get yourself ‘ready’?

If you’ve been casting about, ‘needing’ to make change in one direction or another – perhaps the next step is to set your intentions or imagine your life with having made the change.  Maybe it’s as simple as changing the color of your walls but maybe it’s not.  Maybe it’s improving your health.  Ooooh, that’s loaded.  So, what does that mean?

Identify exactly what you want – make it specific.  “I want to be healthier” is a little vague.  How about, “I want to control my blood sugars better”, or “I want to be able to ride my bike to work by next spring”, or “I want to become stronger so I can play with my kids or grand-kids”?

Break it down into manageable bits.  What do I need to do to make this happen?  Who do I need to consult to get the right information? If it’s your wall colour – the paint shop might be a good start.  If it’s riding your bike to work, maybe it’s an exercise specialist to give you guidance – followed by the bike shop to help you choose the right bike.

Build a simple strategy that will help you make some first steps toward that change.  In some cases, it’s helpful to build it forward and in some cases, it’s more helpful to build your strategy – backwards.  Beginning with the end in mind.

• Getting fit. Consult a fitness expert.  Start indoor riding on a regular basis, maybe add a little strengthening.
  • Stationary bike 2/week, spin class 1/week. Strength train – something simple, 2/week.
• Buy a bike. Consult a new expert if your fitness expert can’t help you.
  • Visit a few bike shops. Tell them what kind of riding you are thinking of doing.  Ask lots of questions.
• Plan your routes (rain or shine).
  • Your city has some local maps for bike routes and pathways. Have a look at them and see what your best routing might be.
• Get ‘er done!

What’s a realistic timeline to expect to see results? Knowing that we’re all impatient and want it all to happen yesterday – you understand that this isn’t possible.  So, give yourself a realistic timeframe to work on your manageable bits.

Whatever your end goal is, wishing it were so will not get you there.  It requires “readiness”, a little planning and some dedicated work.  What I know is this:

• You need a catalyst to get you ready and a strategy to get you started, then
• You need positive feedback from your changes to keep you going, then
• You adopt a new attitude around your change to help support doing more of the same.

Other things that can help include:

• Getting your family, friends and colleagues on board with your plans
• Surrounding yourself with like-minded people who can help you stay accountable
• Checking in with yourself regularly to see how far you’ve come. Log the small wins as well as the big wins.  Every step forward is success and every slip off the rails is a learning experience.

Embrace it all – because when you’re ready, you’re ready.

LiveSplendidly!