Here is the biggest secret to making a life change of any kind – decide what to do. That’s it. The speed and duration of your journey as well as your personal preference are considerations but once the “what” decision is made you can move forward.

There is quite the buzz these days about healthier options, choosing better body fuel, and unlimited exercise ideas. Whether you consider shedding a few pounds, toning up what you’ve got, reducing stress, boosting creativity, changing your self-esteem, managing pain or working on disease prevention, you’ve got options.

Step 1: Let’s take a look at how to get to the change or the what:

• Evaluate your desires. Grab a pen and paper and write down a few things you’ve been contemplating. Rank them in order of importance.
• Consider your current lifestyle. Change is good. Get in touch with what this will require from you – a change to the way you spend your time, money, energy, etc.
• Think positive. You must believe that the change is possible. The more inspiring self-talk you have, the easier the change becomes.
• Find your why – what and why are great partners.  Knowing why you want to do something keeps you moving.

Step 2: Bring your why into focus. Knowing what you want to change, do, be, and have is the first step; however, the key to consistency is the why. You’ll need to remind yourself of the reason for change and the struggle may be quite real. As long as your why is in focus, you’ll remember that the reward will be worth the work.

Let’s take a look at an example: the what is reducing stress. The why is because current health situations are not congruent with how I want to feel. My relationships with my family need to improve. I want to take time to enjoy and relax. I want to eat to fuel my body. I want to sleep better. I want to improve my concentration abilities.

Step 3: How is completely customizable and up to you. Implementing strategies that work within your lifestyle and ones that speak to you are important. Having an accountability partner, someone you can check in with to help remind you of your why and assist with changes of perspective, is an awesome idea.

Step 4: When? Well the sooner the better. There is no time like the present. Action leads to results. The biggest secret may be deciding what to do but the hardest part is getting started. Transition your excitement into action, release the fear and insecurity, and just start. Prepare yourself for the probability of realignment, give yourself permission to learn as you go, and have your why written and accessible daily. Start small. Be consistent. Change your life!