Spring Into Your Routine

When we turn the calendars to March, there is always an excited feeling. And then we realize that spring is not quite here yet. Then we turn our calendars to April and things get a little more exciting. Why is it so exciting to start the month of April? Well, for starters, winter is over. Now we are one step closer to the season we all look forward to from the time summer ended last year: Spring.

Spring is a season of change, new beginnings and fresh starts. No matter how your year started, spring can always bring you some rejuvenation. One of the most exciting things about the season is getting outside again. By the time March comes, it feels like we have been inside for a year! In Minnesota, we still have a little time to go, but at least we know the end is in sight.

So what do you do with the end of winter? What does the spring mean to you? We’ve talked about rejuvenation, excitement, getting outside. We’ve even talked about new beginnings. As a Health Coach, beginnings are kind of my specialty. I help people get started on new routines and get back into routines that have been tough to stick with. Either way, this is the time of year to do it and I have some tips that have helped many others do it before.

Spring into your routine by:

Choosing your activities
What is the best way to get through a long winter evening? Thinking about spring and summer can help. And by thinking about what you want to be doing when the weather turns, you can make it more realistic when it comes time to do it.

Picking your location
You have many options for working out, relaxing or doing other activities. You have to choose what you want to do, but you also have to choose where you are going to do it. Take a minute to plot out your routine so that when you get started, you can be realistic about the details:
Where can I go? Can I do my activities there?

Setting your schedule
No matter where you go or what you do, you have to have a schedule. I don’t care how badly you want to go to the gym. If you don’t make it part of your schedule, you will never get there. Setting a schedule is the most important factor and can mean the difference between success and failure. The details that will help you succeed are:
How long does it take you to get there? How often can you go?

Easing into it
When you are choosing activities, it is easy to choose something grand like running a marathon. When picking your location, it’s easy to just name a place. When setting your schedule it’s easy to say every day! But do you know what isn’t easy? It is not easy to stick with all these things! That is why you have to be realistic and give yourself time to ramp up. Don’t try to do everything in one day. Don’t try to go from beginner to expert in a day or even a week. Think long-term with the following details:
What is realistic for me right now? How much time to I really have? How much more likely am I to succeed if I don’t burn out right away?

These steps are easy, but they can present quite a challenge if you don’t give them enough thought. Spring is a great time to get started, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Use spring for what it is: A good starting point. The rest of the year can be used for mastering your activities and refining your routine. Spring into your routine and you can have a healthy spring!