2020 was full of uncertainty. Almost everything in our life felt “out of control.” Jobs were up in the air, gyms were closed, traveling was limited, schools were shut down. So what did we do? We either 1), chose to push past the obstacles and turn it into an opportunity or 2), we let ourselves go. We gave into emotional eating, binge watched Netflix and started embracing a more sedentary lifestyle. The outcome? We’re overweight, not sleeping good and our energy levels are depleted. We are tired of feeling sick and tired. It’s time to take back our health and commit to stewarding our bodies better!

Here are my top 5 tips to making that happen in 2021:

1. Get real with yourself about where you are.
Take time to evaluate and reflect on this past year. Yes- it was hard but it was also beautiful. Call out the good things. Call out the learnings and what God taught you. The truth is that you can not move forward until you recognize and get real with yourself. That’s the first step in growing. Once you’ve done that, surrender 2021. Lay it at the feet of Jesus and beg Him to guide you as you step into 2021. It’s time to let go of whatever you let consume you last year and press on.

Philippians 3:13-14 says,

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

2. Pray.
I see so many Christians trying to live compartmentalized lives. We want God to be a part of certain areas of our lives without surrendering other areas. Why not invite Him into your health and fitness journey? Ask Him to guide your steps. Ask Him to give you wisdom and open doors. Ask Him to give you a DESIRE for healthier living. And guess what happens when you ask? He delivers. Your prayers are not empty, sister! He hears them and He WILL respond. The power of prayer should not be underestimated. It is a blessing that God allows us the privilege to communicate directly with Him through prayer anytime 24/7 with no appointment necessary. What an amazing gift.
1 John 5:14 says,

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

3. Make a plan.
Having a plan is imperative if you are going to be successful in taking back your health in 2021. This is the foundation that will help you stay on course when you feel like giving up. It takes the guesswork out of the day to day busyness of life. Having a plan helps you define your WHY, keeps you focused, helps you stay in line with your goals and objectives, meet deadlines and measure success.

4. Create healthy habits and start small.
Results come from the decisions we make the MAJORITY of the time. Your daily habits should work towards your goals. We love the idea of FREEDOM; it feels free, unstressful, all of these good things, BUT we don’t like the work to get there. Most people are not willing to turn down good things for great things. The truth of the matter is certain seasons will require sacrifice and you may need to make some trade offs if you want to hit your goal. So create habits and start small. Maybe one week you stop drinking soda and the next week you move your alarm up 20 minutes. These small steps will compound into BIG change over time.

5. Get accountability.
Accountability is a GAME CHANGER! So many people fail at reaching their goals because they’re missing a key component: accountability. You have a 65% chance of completing a goal if you share your goal with someone. And if you have specific accountability appointments with that person? You increase your chances of success by up to 95%!
 That’s a pretty big deal.
I LOVE this quote by Rebekah Lyons,

“The enemy of our souls wants us to be isolated and alone. He knows that when we’re isolated, we’re easy prey. Why? When we’re alone and vulnerable, we feel afraid. When we’re together and vulnerable, we become brave. A brave group of vulnerable people acting together in faith is not easily overcome by anxiety and stress.”

What a blessing to be in it with other people. People you can text when it gets hard and ask for prayer when you want to give up.

I’m praying these 5 tips help you make a game plan for how you will take back your health in 2021. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know Who holds it. If you need help making these 5 tips come to life in your own journey, please reach out! I would love to help you plug into our second round of the “Taking Back Control” Gracecamp starting February 1st.

For information, fill out the form HERE