At present, I need to share a easy framework we use inside Nerd Health Teaching to show targets into plans you’ll be able to truly comply with.
By the tip, you’ll be like Neo in The Matrix – in a position to see the sample and construct a resilient, versatile routine even when life will get chaotic.
Cool? Cool.

Step 1: Image your 12-month win
Step one is to write down down what your targets truly are!
Possibly it’s…
- Lose 20 kilos to enhance your bloodwork
- Run a 5k to help your native charity
- Get your first pull-up
- Really feel extra assured in your physique
- Simply really feel higher. Stronger, extra power, much less aches and pains.
Something goes.
In case you’re feeling caught, do this:
“12-months from now, should you’ve made superior progress in your well being and health targets…what does life feel and appear like? Describe your common day to me.”
That may assist get the concepts flowing and provides you a North Star to purpose for.
Step 2: Establish the abilities behind that aim
Right here’s the place most individuals get tripped up.
They go straight from “I need to lose 20 lbs” to “I have to comply with this actual exercise plan 5 days per week.” That skips over an important step: abilities.
Ask your self:
“What are the forms of abilities somebody who achieves this aim develops?”
Listed here are some concepts to get you going:
Wish to reduce weight?
- Controlling portion sizes
- Planning and prepping meals
- Getting sufficient sleep
- Having non-food coping mechanisms for stress
- Staying lively all through the week
Wish to get stronger?
- Carving out time to elevate often
- Recovering properly (together with sleep & relaxation days)
- Consuming sufficient protein
- Studying methods to work close to failure in your exercises
You don’t must checklist each talent. Simply jot down a couple of that come to thoughts.
Step 3: Select your practices
Now that you simply’ve recognized a couple of abilities, the following step is to determine methods to apply them.
That is the cool half, as a result of there’s nobody proper reply, which is definitely a good factor. Take my shopper Amanda, for instance.
She needed to reduce weight to enhance her general well being. So we recognized “controlling portion sizes” as a key talent. However she didn’t need to rely energy on daily basis.
So right here’s what we did:
- Week 1: Constructed the behavior of packing a day snack at work. This helped stop night overeating.
- Week 3: Used hand-portion guides to estimate meals. We began with breakfast, then moved to lunch and dinner over the course of some weeks.
- Week 10: Tried short-term calorie monitoring. Which she truly loved – one thing she by no means thought after we first began!
All completely different practices. All in service of the similar talent.
We had room to adapt primarily based on what felt life like and helpful on the time.
And if she bumped into a troublesome day? She may pivot to a unique apply whereas nonetheless constructing the underlying talent.
In case you skip the skill-building step, you danger creating an rigid plan, or chasing the unsuitable actions completely.
That’s one motive so many diets fail: they don’t aid you construct sustainable abilities. They only offer you momentary guidelines.
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Now I’d love to listen to from you!
- What’s one 12-month win you’ll be able to consider?
- What’s one talent that would aid you get there?
- What’s a simple apply you’ll be able to work in the direction of this week for that talent?
Hit reply and let me know. I’d like to cheer you on.
You bought this 💪
-Matt
