The most wonderful time of the year is quickly approaching, and with that can come a nightmare for our health. November and December are typically incredibly busy months between work and all the events, cooking, shopping, and time spent with family and friends. Somehow, all those things always get done, often at the expense of the things that help us be our best selves. I know you want to keep your overall health a top priority this season, and so today we’re going to discuss three ways you can prioritize yourself when the world is pulling you in a hundred different directions.

It’s so easy to say you’ll workout today. We all say it, yet oftentimes we don’t actually do it. This happens all year, and even more often during the holidays. To actually make it to our workout, we must plan out when we will do them ahead of time. Treat your date with yourself with the same level of commitment you’d treat a date with someone else. Look at your calendar, find the gaps, and add your workouts. Seeing it in your schedule will help remind you that you are a priority, and your workout is not something to be skipped or double booked.

You may be thinking, “yeah that’s great, Maggi, but even when I put it in my calendar, I still don’t do it.” Yup, I totally get that and have done the same thing myself. Another thing that gets in the way of us staying consistent with our workouts this time of year is the amount of decisions we must make every single day. We are only able to make a certain number of decisions each day as it is, and we hit that threshold faster when life picks up the pace. If you have to decide what to do for your workout when you get there, chances are you aren’t going to go at all because figuring it out as you go is way too much work. A great way to overcome this is to have your workout picked out ahead of time. Look it over before your scheduled workout time and create a plan of action. This will make your workout much easier to complete, much more enjoyable, and will minimize the number of decisions you have to make about an already difficult task.

The last thing that makes it challenging to stick to your workouts and other healthy habits this time of year is being surrounded by people who don’t have the same goals as you. Many people look at this time of year as a time to slow down, slack off, and give themselves a break. Everyone is allowed to approach any season however they’d like, but because you’re still reading, I know that you’re not interested that mentality. It’s important to surround yourself with other people who also want to make their health a priority during the holidays. This could look like a friend, family member, partner, accountability group, class at the gym, a coach, or anything else that comes to mind. Surrounding yourself with other like-minded or better-minded people will help normalize your healthy habits this time of year and will help keep you motivated and moving forward.

Don’t be afraid to be a leader and stand out from the crowd. Someone else may be looking for permission to prioritize their health this season too, and you could be the person to inspire them. For more help prioritizing your workouts this season, download my free Scheduling & Planning Worksheet at www.calofitnessllc.com/scheduling. 

Xoxo

Coach Maggi