As we welcome a new year, I encourage you to slow down, take a step back, and focus on what truly matters. Are you building a legacy? Are you living the way you feel you should? Do you have goals and are you living your values?

We, at Functional Pathways, want to provide our FP family with the resources they need by offering incentives, challenges throughout the year, health education information, and support.  The 2015 Commit2fit challenges will begin soon and how are you going to strive to Be Elite this year?

If you choose to log on your “My Commit2fit” Tracker Calendar, remember that a goal should be realistic and achievable. Every goal should start with an action verb such as; quit, finish, eliminate, or lose, and should be specific. You may want to make more money this year than last year, but an achievable goal would be to save $5,000 more this year than last year.  Instead of a goal being to join the PGA, maybe improving your golf score by 5 strokes is a more realistic goal. You say, “I want to lose weight.” A better goal would be to lose 20 lbs by December 31^st. It is ok to have the same goal from month to month. It is more likely to make a new habit or goal successful if you repeat and repeat. Also, remember road blocks and curve-balls are part of the learning process. Theoretically, it takes 21-30 days to adapt to something new.

Team events, projects, support, and competitions are important in building relationships, showing commitment, and being responsible. I encourage you to be creative and choose what works for you and your teams. Do you want to participate in a group event or hold a smaller competition within your team? You can hold a weekly support group or healthy lunch which promotes team unity, maybe all volunteer to recycle, or come together to help within your community. Please share your ideas and send updates to me, [email protected].

Knowing your numbers can save your life. We cannot help what our parents gave us, but we can take steps toward alleviating those risk factors. While having a yearly physical is a good thing, as we get older it is important to dive even further. Talk with your doctor to find out exactly where you are at risk and find out your numbers. Everyone should have their cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, and weight checked yearly, while others have reached the age where other preventative test are recommended. At 27, I learned my cholesterol was high thanks to my family history and over the past 5 years have been able to take extra steps toward lowering it.  Had I not known my numbers, who knows the damage that could have been caused?

Living a healthier lifestyle within ALL 6 Dimensions of Wellness is important. I am a firm believer in quality over quantity. Make your days, months, and years count. Build a legacy, but live your legacy too!

I challenge you to make your “My Commit2fit Journey” a good one for 2015.

Jill Fiala, Director of Elite Living