Making the Best of New Beginnings by Steph Beth Nickel

Many people see September as a fresh start, a new beginning. Children go back to school (at least here in Canada) and fall programs move into full swing.

In the busyness of it all, we have choices to make. Let’s think about how to make the best ones.

Will we get swept along by the new schedule?

Whether or not you’re a list maker, now is a good time to create a plan of attack for all those things you have to do.

First, fire off a list of everything you have to do in the next week or so. Just jot things down as they come to mind.

Now, go back over the list and assign rankings: 1 – essential; 2 – should be done; and 3 – it can wait.

If you’re like me, you’ll view most of the things on the list as either a #1 or a #2. And like many of us, those things that get assigned a 3 are things you view as primarily benefiting yourself.

I’m not encouraging you to be selfish, but you must remember that you can’t accomplish things for others efficiently and wholeheartedly unless you take time to recharge your batteries.

Healthy choices like eating well, staying / getting active, and getting enough sleep are essential.

Will eating well and exercising regularly get pushed to the bottom of our To Do list?

Too often these and other healthy endeavours get shoved aside as we gear up for long days of running here, there, and everywhere.

It’s easy to grab fast food on our way home from work so our family can eat before we head back out for the evening’s activities.

With all this extra running around, we already feel as if we’ve done a workout. And where on Earth are we going to put it in our already jam-packed schedule?

Remember that list of priorities I mentioned?

Try these ideas:

Spend one or two days making and freezing nutritious meals that can be popped in the oven after work or the slow cooker before you leave the house in the morning.

Research family friendly activities you can participate in with your children. In some cases, this may be the better option to signing them up for sports or dance.

Some research says consistency is one of the most important things about sleep. Make it a priority to go to bed and rise at the same time seven days a week. You can’t really catch up on missed sleep. And we all know the challenges of the day are much easier to face if we’re well rested.

Will we view September as an opportunity to set new fitness goals?

So are you ready to make fitness a top priority?

Are you ready to revisit your list of priorities?

Are you ready to move your fitness goals from a 3 to at least a 2?

Let’s see the next few months as a time to establish a healthy routine. That way, when January comes, we’ll already be well on our way to accomplishing those “New Year’s resolutions.”

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Steph Beth Nickel is an author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She’d love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.