AIM-ing For Better Health: A 3-Step Process To Shift You From Surviving To Thriving
Life shifts.
We all experience shifts in life: some minor, some major, and some global (#yikes, 2020 and beyond). These shifts occur in varying degrees of acuteness and difficulty, and in varying degrees of in-or-out of our control.
In the middle of these life shifts, you also experience hormonal shifts that happen “behind the scenes” in your body. These hormonal shifts - which can be affected by your environment, current state of health, diet and lifestyle choices, stress levels, and other factors - can positively or negatively influence your physical and mental health and your ability to effectively embrace and manage those other LIFE shifts.
That’s why our mission is what it is: to empower individuals (meaning: YOU) to take ownership of and accountability for your own health and wellbeing so that you can have the best experience in body, mind, and life. We want you to AIM for optimal health - for the purpose of living an optimal life.
And that’s why we’ve created the A.I.M. Framework. The 3-step process below will walk you the key steps you need to take to transform the landscape of not only your physical and mental health but your life, starting today:
Step #1 - ASSESS: The first step in the process is to assess your vision, goals, and priorities. For our purposes here, we’ll define vision as the LONG GAME - your vision is how you want to feel, look, and live for the long haul. Goals are the short-term actions steps you need to shift you toward the realization of that vision. And your priorities will help you determine what goals to pay attention to in what order. Take a few minutes to (honestly) analyze your:
Vision: Where do you want to be in 5, 10, 20, 30 years? How do you want to feel, look, and live? This does not have to specific to health - this is your LIFE - but in this context it’s helpful to think about how your health, today and in the future, could impact your bigger picture.
Goals: What specific steps are needed to reach your vision? What shifts (in your control) can you make to live your best life? What steps are the easiest and/ or most important to take right now (which leads us to . . . )?
Priorities: How many moving pieces are involved in you reaching your vision? Which pieces rank highest (self, family, work, finances, etc.) and where does your focus need to be? Again, this does not have to health specific . . . but consider how your physical and mental state takes away from or contributes to your priorities.
Step #2 - INVEST: The second step in the process is to invest your time and effort into your vision, goals, and priorities. This can feel DAUNTING - especially if you already feel out of alignment with your best self. For example, if you’re struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression, the cloudiness that comes with those feelings can make you feel unmotivated or overwhelmed. But that’s exactly why our mission is what it is. We believe any step you take to nurture your physical and mental health will reward you with increased energy and enthusiasm, and over time, you’ll be able to show up - in any room, to any event, or with any person - with clarity, creativity, and confidence. This is the life you want and the life you deserve.
Step #3 - MEASURE: Tracking and measuring your progress might feel like another to-do on your already long to-do list, BUT . . . it’s key. When you complete a task, reach a milestone, or achieve a goal, your brain releases the “reward” hormone Dopamine. Dopamine acknowledges your accomplishment, and feeds back to your brain “That felt great! Let’s do more.” Dopamine will help you embrace your wins and inspire you to continue pursuing your best self and life.
Three tools we recommend for measuring your progress are:
Personalized Tracking: Whether it’s through spreadsheets, selfies, or the scale (or any other tool), it can be very helpful to track your progress so that when it feels small, you can tangibly capture your overall progress.
Accountability: If you don’t want to navigate your journey alone, find like-minded, supportive family, friends, or tribe (or us!) who will help you stay on track and celebrate your successes.
Celebration: Your goals are the action steps; milestones are points you map out on the road ahead to celebrate YOURSELF. You get to choose the celebration, but if your go-to is food and you feel that will trigger a back-step, consider other options: spa day, movie night, new outfit. Set a milestone and once you reach it, take a moment to pat yourself on the back and treat yo’self in a way aligned with your goals. #dopamine
So, now’s your time: Assess, Invest, and Measure in yourself and start making the shifts that will transform you into a superpower. Let’s all show up as the success stories we are meant to be.