Are you wondering why you are having a hard time accomplishing your realistic goals? You might need to take a look at your approach (and sanity). 😉

Are you suffering from goal insanity? I was. Let me explain:

This past week I did a little self-reflecting as I was disappointed in myself for another day going by without exercising. I want to be healthy, and I want to be strong, but as my day gets going things come up, and I keep putting it off and off until finally it’s way past my bedtime, and only the thought of my pillow and closing my eyes occupies my mind. Exercise plan? What exercise plan?

Making exercise a part of my routine is a realistic goal. I have looked at my life, and I know I have enough minutes in my day to let 30 or so be for moving my body.

As I sat feeling a bit discouraged with myself, I ended up mindlessly scrolling through Facebook (since that’s the best way to use my time, obviously), and I came across this quote, supposedly from Albert Einstein:

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

I realized that I was insane. How can I expect to exercise when I’m not making it a priority? How can I expect to be strong and healthy when I’m not putting in the time to get that way? I realized I needed to make time for exercising a priority if I really wanted to improve. I changed clothes and went for a walk with my daughter. It felt good to get some fresh air and some movement into my day! As I walked I made the decision (again) that I was going to start making exercise a regular part of my routine, but this time I went home and made a plan on how that was going to be accomplished. It’s nice to think about your goals, but planning is key.

I had forgotten the basics of goal-setting. Remember way back in January when Rebecca outlined how to make New Year’s Resolutions stick? She said to make SMART goals: Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and with a time-frame. I made a general goal of exercising, but I did not plan out how or when. The way I had made my goal wasn’t smart or SMART.

My goal is still a work in progress. I set my alarm the next day to get up and exercise, but I ended up hitting snooze a few too many times. Repeat this same scenario a couple more times, and I remembered that I’m not a morning person and that I may be on a different level of insanity expecting that I’ll wake up without changing any of my other habits (I’m a night owl through and through). I’m going to keep trying different things until I get the results by finding a way that works for me. Reconfiguring your goals is all a part of the process.

Whether you are trying to incorporate more movement into your day or to eat more vegetables, take a look at your goals and see if you need to make some changes.

What are you doing over and over again but expecting different results each time?

How do you make exercise a part of your routine?

More on Food and Mood

Food is essential for the body to keep going, however with the vast array of food in the modern world it does not mean we are always making the best choices when it comes to food.  There is a direct link between the foods we consume and the way we feel, or our mood.  The way food is made up, and the components within each meal we have, can dramatically alter our feelings and mood, and this can be further compounded by when we eat.

Stick to the Basics

First of all the most important thing is to ensure that you are eating enough food.  Blood sugar is one of the key stabilising factors of a healthy body and something that is often overlooked.  Fad diets popularised by celebrities are often pushing people into unhealthy eating habits.  There is nothing that says you have to eat huge meals three times a day, in fact to the contrary, but eating properly at regular intervals is vital.  If you are hungry, you are not going to be in the best of moods.  If it goes deeper than this and your blood sugar levels are affected, you can also become confused and angry as the body struggles to work.

Soporific Sugar

One of the biggest culprits that most people can name when it comes to food and mood is sugar.  Fast food, sweets and other ‘junk’ may well be convenient and comfortable, but a high sugar content simply leads to a spike in blood sugar.  This might send you into a hyper happy mood, but it will be short-lived.  Once the sugar is processed further into the body, the ‘crash’ will leave you feeling grumpy and lethargic. Sugar is not healthy for the body anyway and is thought to prevent the natural development of healthy cells, so a good one to avoid where possible.

Perfect Protein

At the other end of the scale, protein is a great mood booster and can help you stay happy and in balance all day, provided you eat it regularly.  This is because they make the processing of carbs go slower which in turn releases essential chemicals norepinephrine and dopamine (the feel-good factor).  Protein does not have to be all about the meat either, even on a healthy, low-fat, vegan or vegetarian diet, there are plenty of options available: Tofu, eggs, seafood, yogurt, and chicken to name just a few.

Vital Vitamins

The other thing to guard against if you want your diet to promote a happy mood is missing those essential vitamins.  Sadly the climate has changed in the UK, and we do not get as much access to sunshine, which generates that all-important vitamin D, so we need to look for more of it in food.  Vitamin D candidates are low-fat milk, egg yolks, and soy milk.  B vitamins are also great for mood and energy levels, and B12, in particular, is a real mood lifter.  Try adding more broccoli, leafy greens, oranges, oatmeal, cottage cheese and salmon to your diet to help your body absorb B vitamins from food.

It is proven that the once who have a positive mindset and optimistic view for life are the happiest ones. These are the people who find success in life and are content in whatever they have. However, holding an optimistic view through every situation is a bit difficult for all of us. Normal people often lose their patience and break out for their positive view for life. It is very important that people learn to control their negative thought to become successful in life. A positive attitude can win you over every difficult situation. It prevents people from getting into depression and take unfair steps. Here are few tips for all of the people out there desperately wanting to be happy always.

Tip 1- visualize success

There can be nothing smarter than tricking your brain. Whenever you feel that you are drifting into depression or having a negative thought about life, make sure that you think of all good things. Visualize your success in future and make yourself feel good. This will not only motivate you for doing better in life and working hard but will save you from having negative thoughts and being depressed.

Tip 2- meditate

Meditation is a key to keep your mind balanced and calm. If you are going through a difficult phase in life try to meditate on a daily basis’ so that you can help your mind to keep calm and composed. Find a quiet and comfortable place to carry out your meditation session. Close your eyes and take deep breaths and allow yourself to relax. Feel yourself letting go of all the emotions and relax your mind as much as you can. Repeat the process for best results.

Tip 3- believe in yourself

Self respect and self confidence is the best weapon you can use against all the negative situations. Believe in yourself that you can move out of all the difficult situations and you will do very best for yourself. This will make you confident and give you power to fight. If you have self confidence then you will definitely have a positive look out for life and positive thinking as well.

Tip 4- express gratitude

This is one of the easiest ways to increase your positive thinking. You must express gratitude to everything in your life by being thankful for what you have in your life. Feeling of gratitude instantly makes you in touch with the feeling if love and where there is residence of love, the negative thoughts and fears fly away automatically.

Tip 5- find positive mentors and friends

The people we live with put a great impact on our lives. Therefore always try to surround yourself with people of positive mid set and those who try to take things lightly. They can be a great support in the times of sorrow and difficulty as they can make you laugh and show the brighter side of the life.

By practicing these tips daily it will help with positive change in your thinking for sure.