I have a Healthy 2023 New Years Challenge for you. It’s for you to become the very best version of yourself. I just did a podcast on the importance of your resolutions and goals and part of the importance is to know what you want and make sure you are doing what it takes to get it. You can listen to it here:  LISTEN HERE

What does it mean to be the best version of yourself? Being your best self means living authentically. To be your best self, you need to stay true to yourself and your values. You also need to make sure you’re doing what brings you a sense of happiness, purpose, and meaning.

How do you start – First you have to Imagine what your best self could be like?  Living your best life is really learning how to step into your own control, your own power and really owning who you’re being. Even if you’re not the ideal person that you want to be yet, knowing that you are on your way and working towards being that best person is how to start becoming the best version of yourself.

It’s also important to remember that the best way to live your life and become the best version of yourself is not how others tell you, including me. If living your best life and being the best version of yourself is living fabulously and spending money, then go and do that. If it means you want to eat everything in sight then go do that. The only thing you have to remember living your best life and becoming the best version of yourself is not only in the moment — you have to be okay with the results. For example if you are living fabulously and spending a ton of money on parties and clothes – well you have to be okay with paying for it. You can’t cry you have no money in a month. Or if you eat whatever you want because it makes you feel good in the moment or you don’t want the restrictions of being in control to lose weight well then you can’t cry when you go on the scale and it’s not what you you want to see.  Living your best life and becoming the best version of yourself isn’t only living it in one moment or one day or week. It’s learning to live it daily and continue building on it. It means being in your power and happiness in what you are doing and how you feel and most important you want to LOVE THE RESULTS of everything you are doing and who you are becoming. At the end of the day everything you do and work hard for should result in building on the person you want to become. It should be a life long aspiration of always working in the right direction improving everything you want to improve.

HOW TO START BEING THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.

1. Start by Doing some inner work. When we don’t do it we have no idea how powerful it is. Two of my favorites are:

Journaling: Just like When you were a teenager, you might have kept a diary hidden under your mattress. It was a place to confess your struggles and fears without judgment or punishment. Now it’s called journaling. It’s simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly. And if you struggle with stress, depression, or anxiety, keeping a journal can be a great idea. It can help you gain control of your emotions and improve your mental health.

Meditation: Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. Journaling is putting it on paper and Meditation is doing it in the mind. Both meditation and journaling create an “open-hearted space of discovery, learning and building.

2. BE YOURSELF – BUT BETTER:  Be yourself, have courage, have confidence, take calculated risks, improve yourself daily, know what you’re after, and go get it.

3. USE THE POWER OF YOUR MIND:

If you only get one thing from reading this, let it be your understanding that whatever you think and fill your mind with most is what you will become. The power of the mind is not a joke! You are what you think and your future will become what you think to yourself most consistently. We all think– but we all think differently – the difference is some think negatively about themselves and others think positively about themselves. If you think negatively you will be negative and not reach your full potential in life. The last thing you want to be doing is negatively comparing yourself to people and habitually finding faults with others and yourself – Don’t do that.

Instead work hard to always be positive and look for the positives, that way you will be surrounded by positivity and peace. If you think positively and optimistically you will naturally become the best version of yourself and become your best you

4. BELIEVE STRONGLY IN YOURSELF AND NEVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF

At the end of the day stick to what you’re true to and do not waiver. And if you have a hiccup you just get right back on your path. Whether it’s food, spending or even thinking – when you find yourself stumbling into that negative mindset – you push yourself to get back on your healthy path and you get right back to the person you want to be and the best version of yourself you want to build toward. At the end of the day you’re responsibility is to listen to yourself and trust your intuition. Learn to ignore the negative comments and opinions of others, while consistently building up positivity in your own mind, and always staying focused on living how you want to.

While it’s important to listen to others, since they might show you things you might not see, the point is not to allow them to bring you down when you’re doing what you know in your heart is right. To be your best you, trust yourself, reject opinions that don’t help make you better, and continue to improve yourself daily.

My Final Tips: 

• Smile, be happy, spread love, don’t worry about others, reject negativity, and just focus on doing you.
• Follow your program so you can feel your best everyday. Get in shape with consistent exercise 
• Drink Water Water Water – it’s a natural detox for your mind, body, skin and soul.
• Work hard and keep learning.
• Try new things, make smart decisions, be good to others, pay attention to what you enjoy doing, and above all else, enjoy your life!

One day, you’ll leave this world behind. It is therefore your responsibility to live a good life, the type of life you would dream for yourself. It won’t be easy, but it’s your life right now to live.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss

& Healthy Market

8031/8037 Jericho Tpke

Woodbury, NY 11797

516 802-5055

www.innovationweightloss.com

With just a hop skip and a jump 2023 will be here. Let’s be ready with some helpful holiday tips:

HOLIDAY TIPS :

1. WATER WATER WATER: Whether you are on the beach, the slopes or home you should be drinking water throughout the day. Dehydration can cause hunger, headaches, constipation and fatigue. Plan your water intake throughout the day. For example a great practice is to drink an 8oz bottle of water as soon as you wake up because your body is dehydrated from sleep and the activities from the night before – whatever that may have been. So wake up and drink. Every time you plan a meal or snack drink 8 oz of water before you eat. You will not only consume less food because water is filling — but you will feel and look so much better throughout the day. **Did you know that alcohol and caffeine are diuretics. If you are drinking alcohol or any caffeinated drinks – make sure you have a glass of water in between each one. 

2. EXERCISE: Whether you are in the gym or out of the gym stay active on vacation. Home or away vacation is the perfect time to stay active. On the mountain go skiing, sledding, or shoe walking. On the beach take a long walk or jog on the sand. Go swimming. Do an outdoor yoga class or take outdoor boot camp. Enjoy your surroundings and plan activities according to the weather you are in. If you are staying home with the family play tag or hide and seek. Go bowling or ice skating. Take long walks in the park and maybe even go hiking.  It will be enjoyable and keep the mind and body in a great place. 

3. PLAN & PREPARE: Always always plan your meals and snacks. Regardless on vacation or home you need to plan your meals and snacks because believe it or not while it’s uncomfortable to over do it at home it’s even worse to over do it on vacation. Whether you are Home or on Vacation you want to choose one of the following to keep you on track for Holidays & New Years:

•  Stay on program and follow your 6 clean days and 1 cheat day. If you do this you will of course lose weight and feel great. Plan your food and snacks in advance each day. If you are drinking count it as your snacks. 

•  Split the Holidays. We have multiple holidays and New Years Eve and New Years Day. If you split them and stay on program all day and only off at night – Dinner and Drinks or Dinner and Dessert. You do it for all Holidays with on program days in between. You will absolutely maintain but for many will still have a great chance of losing if you have amazing days in between. 

• Home or Away – Maintain your Vacation– If you feel you need the break from the everyday mindset vacation is a good time to take advantage of it. Whether you are home or away you will choose one meal and one dessert or drinks each day. The remainder of the day keep on program. So for example you might do Muffin Breakfast, and light chicken salad for Lunch – and then cheat dinner and dessert or drinks. Then the next day you might want to do a Cheat Breakfast – and then on program remainder of the day.  You can choose how you want to do it but each day it’s one cheat meal with dessert or drinks (your drinks count as your desserts). If you do this you do not have a full cheat day before or after the holidays’s or break — because you are cheating a little each day. At the end of the holiday week go right back on program for a week and then get on the scale because it will take a full clean week before you see the maintenance of that week. So if you choose this option don’t weigh at the end of the week after having a cheat meal and dessert every day and expect to be the same weight you were at the beginning of the week. Im telling you now that won’t happen. But after the holiday week if you give yourself a solid on program week you will go right back to the pre-holiday weight.

While I wish food and drinks didn’t play such a big part in how we feel – the reality is it does. And I’m a big believer that it’s always better to face things then ignore them. Since what we eat and drink affects our mindset and personality, I think its super important to think through how you want to feel and what is going to make you happy. Do not cheat everyday if you know by mid week you will be miserable because that will just make everyone you are with miserable. As hard as it may feel to stay on program – think about how hard it is to feel bloated and uncomfortable in your body. Im not saying that you should stay 100% on program this holiday break but what I am saying is think it through and decide what you are going to feel your best doing. Honestly I know you all so well that I think there is a different option for each one of you. But what I am telling you is that while going off program makes you feel free of stress and structure – if you over do it you will begin to feel uncomfortable and out of control and I don’t want you to have that feeling on this holiday week. Think about it and plan how often you can cheat and still feel okay. Because when you start out in a bathing suit or snow pants and end up mid week in a cover up or feeling like frosty you have to be okay with it. 

Final thoughts –Remind yourself two things: It doesnt matter how amazing you were up to this point. You will feel the effects of daily over doing it immediately. So make the choices because this vacation isn’t only about you it’s about your family and what mood they have to deal with when you lose control. I know it’s the harsh reality but Im telling you now so you don’t look back and feel like you should have made different choices. You have all been on holiday break before and you know what it does to you mentally and physically when you are consistently off program. Some are okay and can just deal with the affects of it and go right back on program when they return — others will let it ruin the holiday/vacation mid way through. Don’t do it. This year you are going to THINK BEFORE YOU ACT and make sure your choices are what is good for you and all those you love. And always remember if you lose control and you realized you over did it and start to feel uncomfortable there is a simple solution – the very best thing to do is regardless of where you are you just go back 100% on program. After one solid on program day you will feel back in control and feel so much better. I am always here for you if you need guidance – simple reach out. Remember this isn’t about being perfect it’s about being happy. 

HAPPINESS LOOKS AMAZING ON EVERYONE!

Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

INNOVATION WEIGHT LOSS

& HEALTHY MARKET

8031/8037 JERICHO TPKE

WOODBURY, NY 11797

516 802-5055

innovationweightloss.com

innovationjeff1@gmail.com

LET’S TALK MINDSET: No matter the situation you find yourself in this year, you need to take time and ensure you have a healthy mindset. If you don’t know by now, everything in life has an upside and a downside—it’s your duty to look at the situation the right way and make the most out of what’s present. Remember, your perception of things frames how you will experience them. Follow these tips to ensure you have a healthy mindset so you can enjoy your holidays as much as possible!

Reflect on What You are Grateful For:  You know I’m always talking about gratitude, and it’s for good reason. Gratitude is what creates a healthy mindset. Practicing gratitude is a great way to get and keep your mind right day to night. Gratitude allows you to center yourself and realize that while your life isn’t perfect, you have a lot to be happy about. Practicing gratitude is straightforward. You simply need to take time to reflect on what you have in your life- not what you don’t have.

STRESS: All of us feel stress at some time or another, but the holidays can push us even further. Between shopping, cooking, planning, visiting family, traveling, weather and holiday breaks — many of us are thrown right off our game. Disruption to our daily routines can distract us, so we have to find ways to stay grounded and in control. Make sure you are stocked with all the healthy foods you need, and look to the future to make sure you are prepared for holiday parties, dinners, vacations, events or other plans. Whether you are spending the day shopping, going out with family, hosting or attending a party or any other festive plans – be prepared.

SPEND TIME WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE: I can’t stress enough how important this one is. Just like the importance of being grateful for what you have – the holidays are all about spending time with the people you love and are grateful for. If you have family or friends you are close to – you should go out of your way to spend more time with them.  Keep in mind – the right people uplift you, appreciate and value you, they are there when you need them, honest with you and want the best for you, and want to see you happy and succeed in life. Being with people we love and care for is good for our mental health as they make us feel loved, and appreciated.

HOWEVER – and this is a BIG HOWEVER:  Just as the right people provide us with positivity — spending time with toxic friends or family drains us. Unfortunately, the holidays can be draining and unhealthy when we are spending time with the wrong people. And I understand sometimes we don’t have as much control over this during the holidays. But we do have control over how much time we spend with them and how much we let them affect us. So this holiday season, be mindful of who you surround yourself with to keep your mental health balanced. Always remember you are the gatekeeper for who you choose to invite into your life.

SNACKS: Having healthy snacks on hand is essential. When we are driving around from store to store shopping, spending hours walking around the mall, or spending time with our family and friends – a healthy snack will save you. We’ve all been there – we are shopping at the mall, completely exhausted and starving, low energy and just spent. Once you get to that point of starving you will grab without thinking. Don’t let that happen. Always have water and a prepared on- program snack on hand in case you need it. 

Focus on Creating Positive Memories: It’s important to remember that the holiday experiences you create now will be your future holiday memories for you and your loved ones. I know the stress can be overwhelming but if you take the time to step back – give yourself a 5 minute self meditation and just remember that this year is what will be remembered next year. Don’t focus on being 100% perfect – instead focus on  on giving yourself and your loved ones the opportunity to create positive fun experiences this season that you will look back and love and laugh about in the future. Try to laugh a little more at the things that might upset you. Sometimes when we laugh at ourself instead of getting frustrated it can create a completely different experience for everyone involved. I will never forget when I was about 7 years old. My mother and father cooked large pans of baked ziti for all of our relatives. As my dad was walking down the stairs with all the food he tripped and the pans of food went flying all over the floor and all over my relatives. And everyone just froze looking at my big Italian father who just spent the entire day in the hot kitchen. But of course my mother just burst out laughing hysterical and before we knew it everyone in the entire room was laughing including my father. I can tell you first hand that situation could have went a completely different way. But the fact that my mother laughed hysterically made all the difference in the room. To this day – there is not a holiday that someone doesn’t mention that memory in fondness. . It’s a memory we are all love to talk about. So during this holiday season remember everything we do creates memories. It’s up to you how you want them remembered by those you love.

Maintain Your Self-Care Routine: Between the time off from work, traveling to see family, and all the extra activities, it’s easy to fall out of our regular routines around the holidays. While it’s a great time to indulge in some of those tasty holiday treats, it’s important to maintain those healthy habits that you worked so hard to establish during the rest of the year. Make sure to prioritize your self-care habits like exercise, mediation, and hydration. You’ll have a much easier time fighting off those holiday blues if you’re feeling healthy and energized. You don’t need to go to the gym or complete an hour-long class each day. Something as simple as going for a 30 min walk outside or even doing a self workout at home counts. During the holidays my family self care tradition is to walk the neighborhood after dinners to take in all the beautiful decorations and reenergize for the remainder of the evening. Physical activity is important and good for us. Even 20-30 minutes of exercise can be enough to boost your mental activity, reduce stress, and improve your overall mood—something we can all use this time of year. So be sure to keep your body moving. 

TRADITIONS OLD AND NEW: Enjoy your holiday traditions and try Starting Some New Ones – Traditions tell our family story. They enrich the holiday season by allowing loved ones to recognize the culture and history that has shaped their identities. They add meaning to our experiences and enhance a sense of belonging with others. In an uncertain world, we find security in something remaining the same over time that can also be passed down through the generations. When we move from one phase of life to the next, the traditions we cherish and our values can remain a constant. The smells, tastes, and sounds we look forward to each year are predictable, familiar, and comforting. But it’s also okay to create new traditions or be flexible in your own traditions.  The truth is I am big on traditions. I love ours and our family lives by them – and now that my children are older it makes me so happy to get to see them introducing our traditions to their significant others. And it’s even just as exciting and fun to incorporate new traditions.  For example. every year we do cookies, and gingerbread houses and this year my son’s girlfriend introduced us to Sip and Paint. It’s where you sip wine and paint a holiday picture on a canvas. With my children older it makes sense to include something that we could never do when they were younger. So now they have the nostalgia of doing our yearly tradition of baked cookies and gingerbread houses from when they were young and the twist of an adult tradition that we end the evening with Sip & Paint. Now our tradition has a new twist that we all love and enjoy. Adding new traditions and/or being flexible in your yearly traditions is just going to make it fun for everyone and more importantly it’s going to tell the story of your family past and present. 

The best things in life are spending time

with the people we love and the memories we make.

It’s not only about the food on your plate –

More importantly it’s about the love and laughter that surrounds your table. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

INNOVATION WEIGHT LOSS & HEALTHY MARKET

8031/8037 JERICHO TPKE

WOODBURY, NY 11797

516 802-5055

Innovationjeff1@gmail.com

innovationweightloss.com

innovationhealthymarket.com

The most wonderful time of the year!!!! I thought today would be a perfect time to talk about your next 3 weeks and what goals you would like to achieve in those weeks. Yes I know we are in the most festive and the busiest time of the year. I know we will have holiday parties every week. That’s why they call it the happiest season of all because everyone is eating and drinking. But I also know how fast weight comes on and how much longer it takes to come off. And let’s not forget how many of you are traveling to sun or snow in 3 weeks. 

This is why it’s so important for me to remind you – your next 3 weeks are so important. First you have to decide what you want. I know I always talk about planning and preparing when it comes to your meals but it’s just as important to have a plan when it comes to your goals. So start by asking yourself –what exactly would you like to accomplish in the next 3 weeks–. Do you want to lose 5lbs or maybe 10lbs. Do you want to feel leaner — Or more tone and fit? Maybe you just want to feel more confident in your clothes or how you feel about yourself overall. Whatever your goals are -you have to know what you want in order to go after them. Your energy will always flow to where your focus goes. So first decide what you are going to be 100% focused on. Then you make the plan to put your energy to that focus so you can achieve it. 

If you listened to this week’s podcast you will know I spoke about how in order to be successful and reach your goals sometimes things in life may have to take a backseat. But that backseat is only temporary. Once you reach your goal you can add them back in. I also mentioned that you shouldn’t put yourself in positions that you know you won’t be able to handle. Choose your battles and be honest with yourself about what you can do and can’t do. And where you should and should not go. Yes, this is about your weight loss but it’s also just as important to realize when you promise yourself that you want to reach a goal – that you stick to the plan. It’s about the importance of not breaking promises to yourself. Your promises to yourself should be one of the most important things in your life. It’s about being there for yourself and realizing how important it is when you set up a goal in any area of your life that you work hard and do your best to reach it.  

All the work and effort you put into what you want in the next 3 weeks is going to give you the results. So if you are really passionate about your goal and you focus on it and give it 100% you will get 100% results. In 3 weeks you will be so happy that you didn’t let anything get in your way. You will be so proud of yourself that you stood up for yourself and followed through with what you wanted. You will feel confident and accomplished. 

But it all starts with you right now. Nothing will change if you don’t change it. Stop singing the same old song of I should have or I could have and start a new song about feeling good and loving yourself. Only you can change that song and you do it by putting the work in everyday to get to where you want to be

One thing I want to make clear…. This is not about being a size negative zero. Everyone has different sizes and different mindsets they feel good at. You decide where yours is. You don’t have to be the thinnest person to feel amazing. Sometimes just 5 or 10lbs can be all the difference. Sometimes just feeling positive and in control is the healthy mindset you need. Maybe just leaving on vacation feeling lighter than you do today will put you in a positive place. Whatever it is for you – I can tell you it will be worth it if you start today and give yourself the next 3 weeks to head toward what will make you feel your best.

Because what this next 3 weeks is really all about is feeling YOUR best in YOUR mind and body.

Being responsible is keeping promises to others

To be successful keep your promises to yourself.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

INNOVATION WEIGHT LOSS

& HEALTHY MARKET

8031/8037 Jericho Tpke

Woodbury, NY 11797

516 802-5055

www.innovationweightloss.com

I absolutely love Thanksgiving. Many of you that know me already knew I would start off like that. It’s my favorite Holiday. For me it is the start of the Holiday season. It’s not about shopping and gift giving — it’s about family and for being grateful for what you have and who you have in your life. And while it’s also a time to give thanks it’s also a time to pray and/or hope for those we lost and those less fortunate who are struggling. 

It’s also important for us to be grateful for the food on our table. How lucky are we all to be able to sit around a table filled with family, friends, love, laughter and a beautiful turkey with all the trimmings. 

So let’s plan for our TURKEY AND TRIMMINGS! It doesn’t matter if you do or do not like Thanksgiving food. As you may have heard me mention Thanksgiving is more than one day. It’s a 5 day social weekend where the average person gains 10-12lbs from start to finish. It starts Wednesday night and ends Sunday night. And if you don’t have a plan you are going to wake up a very unhappy person Monday Morning. So let’s talk about our Plans and Tips….

PLAN PREPARE AND FOLLOW THROUGH:

TIP: Whether you are cheating Thanksgiving or not – One of the best tips I can give you for Thanksgiving Day is to stay on program and go off dinner, dessert, drinks. Don’t starve yourself all day because if you do that you won’t be able to control yourself when you finally sit down. Instead follow your on program meals of Breakfast and Lunch or Breakfast and Snack and then go into your Thanksgiving dinner hungry but not starving.

5 HOUR FAST:  Unless you are on the 5 hour fast. If you are on the 5 hour fast you are already used to only eating in that time period and your body already knows how to control it. So if you are on the 5 hour fast stick to your 5 hours and make them to your Thanksgiving schedule. 

NAVIGATE THE TABLE:  Regardless whether you are doing the Signature Innovation or the 5 hour fast – When it comes to the food I would have your turkey and then take 1 large tablespoon or 1 small portion of everything else you like that is on the table. Sometimes you will find tasting them is enough. You can always go back for more of what you really liked. But if you fill your plate with everything you will most likely eat it all even if you end up not being crazy about something to begin with. Mentally we tend to finish what is on the plate whether you love it or not. So do not give yourself that option. Instead take a small portion or TBSP of everything you do like – try it and if you really want more go back for it or you might be very satisfied with what you had and be done and feel good. Same goes for the desserts. 

WHAT IS YOUR PLAN

PLAN 1: 

WEIGHT LOSS:  If you want to continue on your weight loss journey and continue to lose weight over the Thanksgiving weekend then you will either use Thanksgiving as your cheat day and do the rest of the week and weekend on program. OR you will be 100% on Thanksgiving and have turkey and veggies and have your cheat day on your regular weekend day that you choose. This is very doable. You can eat out and still be on program. You can have a drink and still be on program. So if you want to stay on program and continue to lose weight you can do this. Always remember you are 100% in control of your results. 

PLAN 2: 

MAINTAIN: NO Exercise: If you are okay with maintaining you can do 2 cheat meals and desserts. You simply pick two days— For example: Thanksgiving dinner and Saturday night and you only cheat dinner and dessert or dinner and drinks on those two nights. The rest of the day and the rest of the weekend is 100% on program. If you do this you will maintain this weekend and that is fantastic if you are okay with maintaining.

PLAN 3:

WEIGHT LOSS:  If you do everything I just listed for PLAN 2 above; but you add in at least 60 min of cardio each day then you have a really good chance of still losing this weekend. So basically it’s 2 Cheat meals with desserts or drinks and incorporate 60 min of cardio each day and you will see weight loss at your next weigh in.

After the weekend the most important thing is to get right back on program.  Because if you stick to your plan any new weight will be gone in a day or two and you can start losing again. The worst thing you can do is get into the mindset that Thanksgiving is once a year and you will be missing out if you don’t over indulge each day all weekend. I see it with clients all the time they want to lose weight but they don’t want to put the planning and work in to make it happen. You have choices. If you stick to one of the plans above and use the Healthy Tip – I promise you will come out of this weekend – feeling great and very grateful. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 

FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU

~LOVE TO LIVE HEALTHY WITH JOSEPHINE FITZPATRICK 

INNOVATION WEIGHT LOSS

AND HEALTHY MARKET

8031/8037 JERICHO TPKE

WOODBURY, NY 11797

516 802-5055

WWW.INNOVATIONWEIGHTLOSS.COM

All of us are aware that kids need a routine to provide structure and discipline in their lives. When we were younger, most of us were told to go to bed at a certain time, wake up at a certain time, do our homework after school, eat dinner at a regular hour, shower, even play with our friends at a specific time. But what about adults? Many grownups do not have a set daily routine and ‘wing’ their day. They have no idea what they are going to do when they wake up each morning because they have not thought about creating a schedule to adhere to. As a result, many people feel like they are stressed, anxious, overwhelmed and falling short of their goals and true potential. So what do you do if you feel like this…. The answer lies in carefully designing a routine that works best for you, one which helps you be productive, in control, and be the best person you can possibly be.

For me a routine is beyond essential. I live by my routine. Having a routine helps me feel successful everyday. But I know many people feel that having a routine is boring, rigid, and even stifling, – . They would rather live their lives in a whimsical manner, believing that it frees them somehow if they do not follow a routine But the truth is and what I have learned myself is that designing and adhering to a personal daily routine is actually the path to freedom, productivity, happiness, and fulfilling my true potential.

Here are some reason why having a daily routine is so important.

1. A Routine Makes Us More Efficient

When we have a routine that we follow daily, it reduces the need to make decisions each day. It enables us to know exactly what tasks we need to do each day without having to contemplate, decide or think too much. When we are finished with one task, we know what comes next without much thought. Activities become standardized and we become more efficient as a result. This really fits in with your food and exercise. You don’t think about if you are going to stay on program – you do it because it has become part of your routine.

2. Routines Create Structure in your Life

A daily routine provides structure and a logical sequence in our lives. It provides the framework within which we live our lives and conduct our daily activities. Soon we become familiar and comfortable with what we have to do each day. It allows us to experience a flow to our day. The key is the flow. When I am working but I know I am running I do not procrastinate I simply finish my work put on my running clothes and I am out the door. Why? Because it’s not a chore it’s simply part of my routine that I do everyday. 

3. A Routine Saves Time, which is Our Most Valuable Resource

Time is the most precious asset at our disposal because, once lost, it is non-retrievable. By following a routine, we free up time that would otherwise be spent on planning, decision-making and preparation. Or even talking ourself out of doing something. How many times have you thought about something you planned on doing but spent 20 minutes talking yourself out of it. We have all done it and we also know the time we spent talking ourself out of it you could have completed the task. When you have your routine it is already predetermined in your schedule, allowing you to use your time efficiently. 

4.Routine Instills Good Habits

The secret to building good habits is repetition. When we design a personal routine that works for us, it helps us develop good habits by encouraging us to repeat the same tasks over and over again. Adhering to a routine allows us to foster habits that match our goals and aspirations. Eventually your good habits will be as normal as brushing your teeth every morning. 

5. It also Breaks Bad Habits

While our routine helps us develop good habits that are in line with our full potential, it also helps to break bad habits that do not serve us well. We can slowly replace our bad habits with good ones through repetition. Consistency and repetition are the key to having a healthy routine in your life. The more you do them the easier they become. That goes for everything from walking away from temptation to planing your meals and snacks for the day. 

6. Routine Helps Us Become More Proficient

When you have a routine, you start to become better at doing certain things because you do it regularly. That is one of the keys to mastering any skill. Think about something you are skillful at. More likely than not, you developed your skill because you have performed the task over and over again. Practice makes perfect! Exercise is a great example. Whether you are lifting weights, spinning or going for a run. The more you do it the easier it becomes. That is why we often increase our weights and our distance. Routine helps you get stronger mentally and physically. 

7. Routine Helps Us Get the Most Important Tasks Done

When we carefully design a personal routine and stick to it, it allows us get the most important things done first and out of the way. There is no room for forgetfulness or neglect. Because the most important tasks have been predetermined by us, as long as we follow our routine, we know that we will complete what is important and not spend time and effort on frivolous things first. Think about how many times you had really important things you had to accomplish but you spent time on your phone scrolling through social media and you look at the clock and an hour passed – talk about a waste of your time. And more importantly you didn’t get things done that absolutely needed to get done. 

8. Reduces the Need for Determination and Willpower

I mentioned brushing your teeth earlier. When we brush our teeth in the morning, it does not require a lot of determination or willpower because most of us(I hope) have made it a daily ritual. We hardly think about having to brush our teeth; we simply do it. The same holds true for other tasks when we follow a routine. It simply becomes your routine. I can’t tell you how often clients will tell me that they need to be motivated or they can’t stay on program and that they have no willpower. But if you do it every day and it’s part of your routine eventually you won’t need motivation or willpower to do the right thing – they become a part of your day and you will do it just like you wake up and brush your teeth.

9. Routine Reduces Procrastination

When you are on your phone or computer or video watching – you are procrastinating from what you should be doing. When a set of tasks and activities become routine, it reduces the chance that you will procrastinate doing them. It becomes ingrained into our system and we almost do it subconsciously. That is the point you want to get too. You want to do it as if it was part of your day and it’s a subconscious effort. People ask me all the time how do I run everyday— I run because it’s a part of my routine. I don’t think about it I don’t say should I or shouldn’t I – I simply do it because it has become a habit. We all know that procrastination is a waste of time and having a routine is a great way to combat it. Consistency and repetition is what is going to make your life easier. 

10. Routine also Builds Momentum

As we all know, when you do the same things repetitiously, it builds momentum, making it easier to persist. That is why going to the gym gets easier the more frequently you do it. Eating healthier is easier the more you do it – walking away from temptation gets easier the more you do it. And with all this you see the scale dropping the more you stick to your routine. Momentum is a huge factor when it comes to ensuring success and following a routine helps build that momentum.

11. Routine Builds Self Confidence

When we adhere to a routine and stick with it, the routine helps build self confidence. For me it gives me a sense of tremendous satisfaction. It provides me with the ‘fuel’ to continue my routine daily so I can reap the benefits associated with it. I feel so good about myself when I follow through with what I planned and do my routine everyday – it’s not work it’s something I have learned to love and count on to keep me feeling my best. Something I bet you didn’t know is that a lack of self confidence is one of the main reasons people find it difficult to change their lives for the better. They mentally feel like they can’t do it – that they can’t change – when the truth is routine is what helps you change your life for the better and routine gives you the self confidence to keep going to keep doing it and to keep reaching new goals 

What we must remember is 

Our goals and aspirations are rarely, if ever, achieved all at once. Successful people accomplish their goals by doing the same things over and over again. An athlete gets good at his sport because he practices daily. An artist hones his craft through repetition. Developing and sticking with a routine that is congruent with your goals is one of the surest ways to ensure success.

12. Routine Helps Reduce Stress and Facilitate Relaxation

There will always be things in our lives that are beyond our control, and we need to accept that. However, there is so much that we can control, especially if we follow a routine. When we design and stick to a routine, it eliminates a lot of stress because we do not have to think and worry about what needs to get done. The act of ‘doing’ gives us a sense of control and helps us relax instead of fretting about the tasks at hand. 

One thing I want to point out is to keep in mind that It is also perfectly okay to set aside certain times to do nothing. Not every aspect of our lives needs to be scheduled or incorporated into a daily routine. There is a time and place for leisure, relaxation.  The point is that you have thought about it carefully and are mindful about your choices. After all, having a routine is nothing other than a conscious choice to live your life in a certain way through healthy repetition. I believe It is one of the keys to success and happiness.

Each of us is different and has different goals, needs, desires, and resources.That is why it is important to develop our own routine after carefully deciding what we want to achieve in our lives. The rewards to be reaped are definitely worth the effort. 

“The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine”

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick