Wellness Tips from a Non-Expert (Me)

I have had the good fortune of writing hundreds of posts for the Cultivate What Matters blog over the years. It's been a delight to cover so many topics of mutual interest, from book reviews to personal finance tips to the ins-and-outs of the PowerSheets® goal planner.

But there's one topic that we've covered less frequently than you might expect for a company that helps women plan and achieve their goals: health and wellness. That's not because it's not a popular topic (it is! top two year after year!) but, admittedly, because it's not a topic where I, the writer behind most posts, feel like much of an expert. I've never run a marathon (or a 5k, for that matter), I use ten-pound weights when I have to lift them above my head, and I prefer pasta and chocolate to greens and lean protein.

In short: I may know a thing or two about goals after all these years on Team Cultivate, but not many people are coming to me for wellness advice.

Today, though, I'm embracing my amateur status, because I'm guessing it's what a lot of you would consider yourselves, too. And while experts are fantastic and often so helpful, sometimes you just need a friend along the way to offer some encouragement and a few in-the-trenches tips that have worked for another normal person, amen?

Well, consider me your normal friend. Here's what I'd share if we were to meet up for a brisk walk followed by a green smoothie. (This is a wellness post, after all!)

1. Name two whys.

I know, I know, uncovering what matters and naming your why is where all Cultivate advice starts... but that's for a reason! A strong, personally-meaningful why can keep you going when you can't see any progress, when you're faced with a hard decision, or when you feel like quitting. (And, let's be honest, I feel all of those things daily when it comes to wellness.)

Something that I have found helpful: having a big-picture why AND ALSO having a more immediate why. For example, my big-picture why might be that I want to have a strong and healthy body that allows me to enjoy my adult children and grandchildren, experience our big and beautiful world, and do whatever God is calling me to do as long as He'd have me do it. That's inspiring, and it does get me fired up—but it's also kind of far in the future, you know? My kids are all under age 10! 

So now, in addition to that when-I'm-80 why, I also have a short term one: an event in the next year or so that's motivating enough to help me make the harder, better choice today. Right now, it's feeling healthy and strong for our summer trip to Acadia National Park. When we visit in August, I want to hike and climb with ease (and maybe even carry a kid or two when needed). Currently, this vision is pushing me to choose the hillier route on my steamy morning walks—success!

2. Schedule your workouts in advance.

This isn't a new idea—in fact, it's one of the oldest and most well-studied goal interventions in the book. Say hello to implementation intentions! That's a fancy name for deciding in advance when and what behavior you'll perform—for our purposes, what workout you'll complete on what day and time. For example, you might say, "I will go for a 30-minute run on Tuesday at 6pm, when I get home from work." 

The genius of this strategy? When Tuesday rolls around, you're not having to decide whether or not you're working out, or even what workout you'll do—you'll just follow the plan.

For me, a gal who loves to have a plan, using implementation intentions has been quite helpful over the last few years. It hasn't always looked the same: in one season, I chose different days to workout each week depending on our schedule, while in my current season I work out the same three days each week. Either way, choosing in advance has greatly helped me to sidestep relying on willpower or a desire to workout to get my butt moving (because let's be honest, if I waited until I felt like working out, I might never move from my chair).

3. Embrace information.

For almost three years I had the same goal written in my PowerSheets® goal planner: find a primary care physician and have my bloodwork done. I knew it was important, but I had  convinced myself I needed to find the exact "right" doctor and so my Googling always ended in indecision. 

A few weeks ago, a tip from a friend and general frustration with my search for perfection boiled over. I called up the nearest in-network practice with good reviews and to my surprise, they were able to book me for an appointment the next day. I showed up, I enjoyed talking with the doctor, and I happily got my blood drawn. Done and done, I thought.

The results came back the next day. As a lifelong excellent student, I was curious about what I'd see but confident they'd be favorable.  

Most levels were fine, but a few were not. Seeing those numbers outside the desirable range was shocking, and upsetting. While I had thought I was doing a lot of things right, the numbers showed that it wasn't enough—or, at least, that I wasn't focusing on what was most important.

Since then, I've made a few changes aimed at shifting those numbers for the better. Are they all pleasant? No, they are not. Sometimes it feels like it would be easier to have never gotten the bloodwork done. On my more rational days, I'm grateful to have data to help guide me where I want to go.

Another example of embracing information: my husband has used the Noom app for over a year in an effort to lose weight. Once he had completed all of Noom's educational videos and met his goal weight, he switched to the lower-priced but still functional Lose It app, and I downloaded it, too. Though I'm not trying to lose weight, I have learned so much about the makeup of what I'm eating in just a few weeks, which has helped me to make more informed decisions at each meal.

Do I kind of wish I didn't know how many calories are in a serving of pasta? Yes, sometimes. Ignorance can feel like bliss. Ultimately, though, I'd rather have what I need to make good decisions that will lead to my big-picture vision. Sometimes that means a serving of fettucine, and sometimes it means skipping the carbs entirely.

Data can be painful, but it helps us get where we want to go.

4. Make good choices easier.

Clearly and forcefully described by James Clear in Atomic Habits but beloved by goal setters forever, tweaking my environment and routines to make good choices easier has been huge for me, especially when it comes to what I eat. 

The basic idea: increase your exposure to cues for your desired habits by doing things like reorganizing or adding items to your spaces. Also, reduce or eliminate the amount of activation energy (the time, choices, and mental and physical effort) it takes to make a good choice. By putting your desired behavior on the path of least resistance, you’ll find success more often.

The inverse is true, too: hide cues for less desirable behaviors, or find a way to make it harder to complete a bad habit.

One simple example from my life: in different seasons, I've enjoyed making smoothies for breakfast or lunch. Sometimes I've kept it up for several weeks, but it was always a drag to haul the big blender out of the pantry and then find a way to fit all the pieces into the dishwasher each day.

Last month I bought a single-serve blender, and it's been a revelation: so small, so light, so easy to use and clean. I've hardly missed a day of green goodness since it arrived.

Now look, I know this can feel lame—at least, I can feel lame letting something as inconsequential as having to take a blender out of a pantry derail my goals. Get it together, lady! First world problems! But here's the thing: we can notice something that could be improved but force ourselves to stubbornly push through because it feels weak to make an easier choice... or we can make the change and then watch ourselves make the best choice with ease and joy.

While we can't make everything easy, I'd encourage you to do it when you can. Life is hard enough as it is.

5. Sweeten the deal.

Let's end with one more classic goal intervention, another one that's been potent in my wellness journey: temptation bundling, or pairing an indulgence with a habit you’d like to grow. A term coined by Katherine Milkman, a behavioral economist and professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, it's a way of turning something you know you should do but don't really want to do into something pleasurable.

My most successful bundle: pairing an early-morning walk with listening to my favorite podcasts. Normally I tune in while driving around town, but as a remote-working mom with kids home in the summer, I drive almost nowhere alone. Since I haven't found a way to incorporate podcast time into my routines at home, that means my listening time is cut almost to zero when school is out.

And I miss my favorite voices! For me, the chance to catch up on recent episodes while swinging along my neighborhood greenway is more than enough to get me out of bed before the kids wake up. (And y'all know I'm "not a morning person.") Since I started this new bundled habit, I haven't missed a day.

Just like we can't always make everything easy, we can't always make everything enjoyable—but when we can, we should.

Looking to double down on health and wellness yourself? You might just love Cultivate What Matters' Wellness Journal! Designed to approach wellness holistically, it has space to plan your meals and workouts at the start of each week, track your progress and daily habits, reflect on your goals and celebrate progress each month, and much more. We think you'll love it!

Your turn! What simple health or wellness strategies are working for you right now? I'd love to hear!