Each year, millions of people set personal goals for themselves that they promptly abandon. In fact, studies show that approximately 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. And if you’re one of the millions who bailed on yours this year, don’t beat yourself up over it! It’s not laziness or a lack of commitment that’s to blame. It’s because, most likely, you didn’t pick a goal that worked for your specific needs.
Achieving your goals comes down to designing a plan that takes every part of your lifestyle into account — your personality, goals, strengths, weaknesses, environment, schedule and so much more. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to put together a personal wellness routine that’s customized to you and also provide a few pro tips for how to optimize your health in the easiest way possible.
Step 1: Identify Your Goals
First up: goal setting. Your goals will be different from everybody else’s, so an off-the-rack wellness routine is likely not the best option for you. We always recommend using the SMART goal setting methodology to set goals that are easier to keep. Choose those that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
Remember that “wellness” means different things to different people. It’s not just about your physical health, though that is an important component. Wellness includes everything from staying hydrated to setting appropriate boundaries at work. Here are some things to ask yourself to help you identify the best wellness goals for you:
- What causes me the most anxiety each day?
- What do I wake up worrying about?
- What do I want to spend my life doing?
- What things bring me the most joy?
- What can I eliminate to make my life more enjoyable?
- Where have I fallen short with my wellness goals in the past?
- What health concerns are a risk factor for me?
You want to identify things you need to work on without beating yourself up or sending yourself into a spiral of negative self-talk. When goal-setting, remember to go easy on yourself. Berating yourself will only cause you to associate your wellness journey with negativity, and that will just set you back.
Step 2: Eliminate the “Hard” Parts
If you’re struggling to keep a goal, ask yourself what’s standing in your way. For example, if your wellness plan includes drinking your recommended daily amount of water each day but you just aren’t a person who wants to sip on something all day long, consider easing the burden with hydration capsules or water enriched with electrolyte powder to help you get your electrolytes in an easier format. Here are some more ways to eliminate typical challenges from your wellness journey:
- Find more enjoyable ways to achieve your goals. For example, ditch the stationary bike for a fun barre class or an exciting virtual reality workout game.
- Don’t put pressure on yourself to eat a perfect diet. Take some of the burden off with the help of supplements and multivitamins. For example, you can optimize nutrition with multi-collagen protein powder that has collagen protein and biotin to support your skin, hair and nail health.
- Don’t join a gym or see a health coach who’s far away or doesn’t offer a virtual option. Keep your resources close so you have one less hurdle to face in getting yourself there if you’re tired or there’s bad weather.
- Start small. If you’ve never followed a specific wellness regimen, it can help to start small instead of diving in head-first. For example, consider committing to drinking less or eating healthily most of the time — on weekdays, for example — but be careful not to binge on your off-days.
- Don’t be afraid to use services that feel like “the easy way out.” Companies that offer ready-to-blend smoothies or pre-bundled meal kits are great for those of us who want to stay healthy but don’t have a ton of time to spend on shopping or meal planning.
Remember, not every wellness endeavor has to require a ton of energy or stress. If you feel like it has to be painful to be working, you need to reset your mindset! Something as simple as wearing a wearable health tracker each day can help you achieve your goals with almost no effort from you.
Step 3: Be Realistic About Your Time and Energy
The last and final step to creating your custom wellness routine is to determine how much time and energy you can realistically dedicate to this endeavor. Working out, meal-prepping, seeing a therapist, spending more time with friends — they all require two things we all need more of: time and energy. You’re much more likely to fail at your goals if you’re setting lofty, time-consuming ones when you’ve already got a ton on your plate.
When you’re evaluating your mental and physical time constraints, be specific. Ask yourself how many hours you can dedicate to working out, cooking, etc. each week. If there’s not enough time for everything you want to do, reprioritize what you’ve got on your plate or consider taking smaller steps to start. Remember, the goal is to build up a wellness routine that becomes a lifestyle. Your lifestyle must fit in with everything else you have going on, so make sure it’s sensible.
The Tailored Approach to Wellness
The reality is that not everyone’s wellness goals are the same, so a one-size-fits all wellness routine likely will not work for you. You have to spend the time thinking about your goals, needs, preferences and time restraints in order to start a routine you’re likely to keep. Ultimately, the most successful wellness routine for you is the one you follow, so keep that in mind when designing yours!