Measuring Success

Have you ever noticed how great you feel at check in time when you've been doing well? That feeling is important! It takes you back to the days of getting a gold star from the teacher, a pat on the back from a co-worker, or kudos from the boss.  Feeling good about working hard and making progress is a big deal.

So in the world of a healthy lifestyle of eating well and moving more, what does a successful check in look like?  What does it consist of? Everyone's benchmarks will look completely different and that's A-okay.  It's important that you identify what a successful, week/day/hour looks like for you. If you aren't sure how to measure your success, here are a couple ideas.

• Your head is happy with your choices for food.
• Your body is happy with your movement choices.
• Your stomach is content - not too full, not hungry, just comfy and satisfied.
• If you are following a plan you know you stuck to the plan at least 90% of the time. Don't beat yourself up over the % - there is room for interpretation there depending on your history.
• The scale has dropped.
• Your clothes fit better, are getting loose, need to be down-sized.
• You stuck to your plan for the whole week/day/hour. (Again this all depends on your history.)
• Your hair is shinier.
• Your skin is glowing.
• Your finger nails are strong.
• Your self confidence is growing.
• You planned the meals for the week.  Then shopped, prepared and enjoyed them. 

What does success look like for you?  Remember if you're just starting - baby steps are key.  You can't change everything all at once.  One thing at a time and when that feels comfortable, then change another thing - before you know it you'll have made many healthy changes!  

Don't forget to watch for success and give yourself a pat on the back or that gold star!

My check in report after three days of renewing my focus?  So far terrific!  Happy with food choices, movement not too bad, tummy is satisfied, percent on plan is high.  It's too early to tell on the scale or in the fit of my clothes, but the confidence is growing. 

How are you doing?  What other ways do you use to measure success?