This is the day you decide to start your lifestyle on a healthy path. What do you do?

Try these easy steps and you will be well on your way!

1.  Put your goals and wishes down on paper.

What’s your wellness vision? Where do you imagine yourself two to three years from now? Set three-month and weekly goals based on this vision. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action-based, Realistic and Time-oriented.

2. Ask how, when and what will you do. Make a list of the obstacles that keep getting in the way of living a wellness life. Determine which of these are true barriers – things that you need to work around and find resolutions to. And NO MORE excuses – enough said!

3. Have a plan. Rarely is any major task accomplished without a plan. Create a plan for accomplishing your goals, as well as solutions for overcoming the hurdles. Your game plan should be flexible, but have determination, fun, but not “fluff.” And make it active. Include specific steps you will take to reach your goals.

4. Start a journal. Your goals, needs, barriers, obstacles, excuses, solutions and plan should all be a part of this journal. Make it yours! Set it up so it’s easy to use AND use it. Include space to just let your feelings flow. Use it to let out your thoughts, vent, cheer, or celebrate. You’ll be astonished at how liberating it is!

5. Begin your journey where you’re at right now. What is your status right now, this very moment, on your journey? Accept where you are and where you want to be and begin the steps necessary to close that gap. If you find that old problems keep popping up, preventing you from reaching your goals, you may need to seek counseling. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to take some steps backward.

6. Take one step at a time. What happens when a builder forgets an important piece in building a house? Or a chef leaves out an ingredient that is important in a recipe? Doesn’t work good, does it? It’s the exact same thing with your life. You have to take certain steps in order to reach a place of wellbeing—and make it fit your lifestyle.

7. Learn from your hold ups. Making mistakes and experiencing disappointment is all a part of being human and living. Rather than getting down on yourself, take that setback and turn it into something positive – something you can utilize to reach your goals. Life can indeed be two steps forward, one step back!

8. Spend some time “cleaning house.” That statement is intended to be both literal and figurative. When our homes are a chaotic mess, it’s impossible to function well. Same for our schedules. Create a list of your activities and decide which ones are not contributing to your overall purpose. “De-fluff” that schedule and focus on the activities that bring the most meaning to your life, and ultimately to others!

9. Stop comparing yourself to others. We’re flooded by images of “perfect” bodies every day. It’s easy to get caught up in it all and feel that we’ll never measure up – and chances are, we won’t. Get real! These images are results of computer imagery, great lighting, professional make-up artists, self-starvation, plastic surgery and really good genes. Stop comparing yourself to a fantasy and just be the best you that you can be.

10. Reward yourself! It’s great to feel good about yourself! And it’s beneficial to reward yourself for your accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. Your favorite meal at a restaurant, a date at the movies, a new pair of shoes even a bubble bath… whatever you don’t do every day , as long as it contributes to your wellbeing, is a perfect reward!