March Madness Check-In Day 8! #WIPMadness

If you haven't set your goals for March yet, or seen the arsenal of prizes we are giving away to people working toward their goals this month, it's not too late! Check out this post and chime in with any kind of bookish goals you want to work toward this month.


But actually, I'm going to talk a little about non-bookish goals today. I noticed among the goals posted, that many of you have physical or health goals this month too, along with your writing goals, whether it's to lose weight, eat healthier, or exercise more. I'm also working through some physical goals. I'm generally in okay shape. I exercise regularly and eat fairly well, and I've never been terribly overweight. However, a few years ago I went through a very difficult personal year and put on some weight that I haven't been able to shake off. My clothes haven't fit right, and I just haven't felt like myself every since.

So I've finally decided to do something about it. I'm not a fan of starving myself or doing anything crazy. My husband is a personal trainer, so he helps keep me in check with any weight loss strategies. He often tells clients who don't want to feel overwhelmed with their goals simply to start by doing a little more and eating a little less.

I think it's a great mantra to keep in mind. Another phrase that goes through my mind regularly now is "What would be a healthier choice?"


I recently read a holistic book on weight loss called The Gabriel Method by Jon Gabriel. He focuses heavily on adding better choices into our diets, rather than concerning ourselves with what to cut out. He also spends a lot of time teaching on using visualization to achieve goals. I admit, this is not an area I've ever been very good at. But I'm trying it, not just with my diet and exercise, but also with my writing. I spend a few minutes here and there, closing my eyes and imagining a writing session where I'm so enthused and bombarded with great ideas, I can't get them onto the page fast enough. I can't say for sure that this is what has brought the improvements I've seen recently in my writing, but I'm fairly sure it is what's made a difference to me healthy wise.

Picturing myself full of energy and thinking of my body as a well-running machine has actually made me crave unhealthy food much, much less. And I've finally shaken the habit of relying on sugary snacks to fuel my creativity.

Do you have any experience with visualization or any other techniques that have made your writing and/or health goals easier? I'd love to hear about them, and I'd also love to hear about how your March goals are coming along so far.

Don't forget to check in on Kim's blog tomorrow!