Challenges

I found that the best way for me, a super competitive person, to stick to a plan is to challenge myself. If I set a goal and tell everyone around me about it, that gives me the motivation to follow it through till the end. If you are a competitive person or a goal driven person, this may be the way for you too.

Changing your life is a slow process. You don't just wake up one day and decide I'm going to be healthy from now on. We are creatures of habit and it's hard to break those habits sometimes. I'm taking it one month at a time. 

1.Pick something you are going to do each month and stick to it. Once that month is over, don't go back to the way things were before, but carry what you've learned into the next month. Start with the habits that are the worst for you. If you are addicted to cokes, drinking them 2, 3 times a day, work on slowly cutting back on them. First only allow them on weekends. After a  couple of weeks, cut that down to once a week.  We made Saturdays our coke day. Then they were only allowed twice a month. It got to the point that we didn't miss them anymore and when we did drink them, it just wasn't that great. We feel so much better drinking water all day.

2. If you are the type of person who can cut things out cold turkey, then go for it.  

3.What I've found to work best is to tell everyone what you are doing.  That way if someone were to see me drinking coke, then could call me out on it.

4. If you work best on the reward system, then set a goal and reward yourself for sticking to it. If you are trying to lose weight, reward yourself with a new, smaller, item of clothing once you meet that goal. 

5. Make sure you write down your challenges and your goals.  Maybe keep a journal if that helps, keeping track of the goals you've made and the progress and maybe the trials along the way.

6. The point is, find something that works for your personality and stick to it!!

April Challenge
http://happyhealthyhouse.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-challenge.html

May Challenge
http://happyhealthyhouse.blogspot.com/2012/04/may-challenge.html

June Challenge
http://happyhealthyhouse.blogspot.com/2012/06/june-challenge.html

July Challenge
http://happyhealthyhouse.blogspot.com/2012/07/july-challenge.html

No Kitchen Challenge
http://happyhealthyhouse.blogspot.com/2012/07/4-weeks-no-kitchen.html

September Challenge
http://happyhealthyhouse.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-organized-life.html