A few nights ago I was doing a talk for PTA moms about the power of meal planning and a little proactive thinking to give our pocketbooks a boost. A dose of planning can make a big difference in how much we spend and save, not to mention how healthy our families are.

As we were talking and sharing, we got into an interesting discussion. Why is it that when our backs are against the wall — in this case someone’s husband had lost his job — that we get serious about doing something with our spending?  This particular mom mentioned that instead of using her debit card, aimlessly buying items, she now brings only a certain amount of cash and has to buy what she needs within this limit.  Wow, what a concept — consciously saving money.

The same can be true when we’re diagnosed with an illness. Perhaps before than we had a pseudo or less than healthy lifestyle and all of a sudden, the bad news jump starts us into action. We get focused on our health like never before, going the extra mile to eat well, exercise more and treat ourselves like we always should have anyway.

So what’s up with that, waiting until there’s a problem? Why can’t we adopt the mindset that today, from this day forward, we’re committed to healthy eating, saving money, disease prevention and the host of other things we hope to get around to some day?

I say we all need to find a deeper motivation within us to get and stay healthy. My friend Denise, the motivation mama, talks about this everyday. She regularly inspires us to get and stay motivated with her helpful tips. I love what she had to say yesterday about adopting a “just say yes” mindset.  That life is full of possibility and we have to be willing to embrace it.

I’m all for choosing one area of your life (not a laundry list) where you can shine and go the extra distance. What’s that area for you and how soon will you get busy putting real actions behind your words and your health?

Filed under: Healthy lifestyle, Motivation, Optimal Health