If it’s been a long time since you’ve felt good or you’re already having numerous health problems, it might be time to start at square one and give yourself a complete renovation inside and out.

This is actually easier to do than you think, but the first thing you need to know is that while you’re taking care of your physical health, you should concentrate on improving your emotional health, too.

Great health is a package deal that should include both areas being improved.

How to Start a Health Journey: It’s Easier Than You Think

Getting healthy is always worth it, regardless of what you have to do to get there. Feeling good both physically and emotionally means being able to live a much better life and being better able to make the right decisions to keep you happy.

If you’re starting at the beginning, here are some steps that you can take to get started:

1. Evaluate Your Current Situation

To improve your health, you have to first know what your health is like right now. Ask yourself a few questions, such as, “Am I exercising regularly?” “Am I trying to eat healthier?” “What am I doing to relax and take care of myself?”

You can’t make a plan to improve your health unless you know exactly where you stand right now, so go ahead and evaluate your true health condition.

When you do this, make sure that you are completely honest in all of your answers. If you don’t do this, you won’t have a realistic starting point; therefore, the things you do afterwards won’t count as much.

2. Set Very Specific Goals

If you don’t set goals, you won’t be able to achieve the final goal of being healthy. If you want those goals to be more achievable, make them SMART, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.

The more specific and detailed your goals are, the more likely they are to happen. You should also set dates for each goal, although they should be flexible dates.

Without goals, you have no way to evaluate where you are at any given point, but if you miss a self-imposed “deadline,” simply write in another one and keep on going.

3. Decide to Do Something Every Day

To fulfill any goal, you have to do a little something to move towards it a little more every single day. It can be something small, but if you do something every day, it keeps you motivated and moving towards your goal.

If you drank four glasses of water yesterday, drink five today. If you gain half a pound back, don’t worry about it but go write in your journal a while.

Thinking about your goals every day is the main tip to keep in mind with this one. It keeps you much more focused and alert, which means that you can concentrate on your goals and actions much better.

4. Keep Meticulous Track of Everything Along the Way

When you write in your journal or revise your list of goals and timelines on a regular basis, you’ll realize that it takes regular activity to achieve those goals.

Keeping track of everything that goes on each day is crucial because it helps you learn whether you’re on target or you need to change something or maybe even pick up the pace a little.

This means writing in your journal or your to-do/goals list on a regular basis, revising it and changing it up whenever it’s necessary to do so. Revising these lists is not a big deal; it’s more important that you stick to your goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them.

5. Be Patient with Yourself

On your health journey, it is guaranteed that you’ll have ups and downs, so you need to be patient with yourself and be flexible because things will not always go as planned.

If you get frustrated easily, this journey might be more difficult for you. Relax, do the best you can each day, and concentrate on one thing at a time.

You also need to make a plan right when you get started, which can include things such as:

• Start drinking six to eight glasses of water per day
• Exercise 20 to 30 minutes three or four days per week
• Meditate every day
• Write in your journal every day
• Explore your spiritual side

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, your emotional and spiritual needs must be improved just like your physical needs are.

If you’re not a church-goer, that’s all right because your spiritual side might include simply meditating or exploring a nature-based religion. Always do what you feel like is the right thing for you, and never base it on what “everybody else” does.

Whatever your goals are, start small and build up from there. Make your goals powerful but not overwhelming. You deserve to be happy in every aspect of your life, but it should start with clear-cut goals that are always in writing.

Conclusion

Starting a health and fitness journey doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it usually works out better if your goals are simple ones.

You don’t want to be overwhelmed from the start because it will be too easy for you to quit altogether. You might even want to work just on your physical health for a little while before adding the other health goals to that plan.

Whatever you do, be sure to take good care of yourself and take things slowly because this is the best way to be successful in the end.