You didn’t have a particular day in mind that you chose to fall off your routine, now did you? So why do you need to have a particular day to get back on the bandwagon of prioritizing something for your health?

“I’ll start my new exercise routine on Monday.”

“I’ll just eat through my cupboards this weekend and start eating clean on Monday.”

“This week is really busy, so I’ll start my meditation routine on Monday.”

Stop with the Mondays already! There is nothing special about Monday that will make your new habit a great success. It solely gives you an excuse to do whatever the heck you want for the next however many days, until the fresh week rolls around.

So I’ve got a new plan of action for you… start today. And yes, if you are reading this on a Monday that means you too 😉 The more you allow yourself the room to make excuses and reconsider your new healthy habit, the more likely you are to realize that by the time Monday happens, you’re feeling unsure about committing to that new plan.

Commit to your goals when you feel fired up about them; when the motivation is pumping through your body and your “why” feels tangible because it is so crystal clear. Take advantage of these moments to gain momentum toward your goal!

And guess what, even if it’s 9pm when you feel this rush of motivation to change something in your life, take one small step that will set you up to succeed. Spend just 15 minutes doing something that will allow tomorrow to be an awesome Day 1.

Here are a few 15-minute ideas to accomplish TODAY to start taking action steps:

• Clearly define your goal – make it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound – get SMART with your planning 😉
  • For example, “getting in better shape” is not a clear goal. Saying, “I will go to the gym to strength train 3 times a week for 45 minutes – full body, upper body, and lower body – consistently for the next 10 weeks,” is a clear goal.
• Make a calendar to hang on your fridge, or somewhere easily visible, to track your adherence to that goal. It can be as simple as printing off a calendar from Google images and writing your goal on top.
  • Mark your calendar each day as you successfully work toward your goal. There is something so satisfying about checking a box to remind yourself what you are aiming toward.
• Prepare anything you will need for tomorrow to crush your goal. Working out in the morning? Pack your gym bag now. Meal prepping tomorrow? Write out a grocery list. Starting your meditation practice tomorrow? Find an app to download, if you want guided meditation.

So you’ve got your goal nailed down? Awesome. Cheers to taking hold of your dreams and making them a reality! These are the steps that won’t leave you saying “Gee, I wish I had started 6 months ago. Just think about where I could be now.”