Designing a healthy lifestyle is like putting together a puzzle.
To complete a puzzle, you need to find the way to make the pieces fit to create that picture on the box.
That picture on the box is your vision of the best version of yourself. Just like you wouldn’t start a puzzle without knowing what image you are trying to create, designing a healthy lifestyle without a having a vision of who you want to become is hard!
The pieces of the puzzle are your actions, thoughts, beliefs, values, strengths, habits, routines, environment and choices that fit uniquely together to create that picture of yourself.
Looking at the box full of hundreds or thousands of pieces that need to be put together, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.
How do you start?
Order is important. The first step is to find all of the pieces with straight edges, and use them to construct the border of the puzzle. Jumping right into hunting for the pieces that make up the obvious components of the picture is tempting, but having that boundary to guide you makes the process easier to organize.
The pieces that make up the border are your values. You will find those straight edged pieces by asking yourself what is most important to you. The border becomes your set of guiding principles that support you as you design the lifestyle that leads to the healthiest version of yourself.
Once you get started, the border comes together pretty quickly. You find those edges, and once that frame is in place, you feel accomplished, and inspired to fill in the picture. You have established a space where you can do the work!
But, there are still lots of pieces left.
Next, divide the remaining pieces into piles. Let’s say the picture on the box is a house on a farm. You might make a pile of pieces that look like the sky and a separate one for those that look like the grass. Another pile of pieces that match the yellow color of the house and another for the shingles on the roof. You’ve probably done this before. Breaking that huge pile of pieces into manageable categories makes the task ahead seem a little less daunting.
How can you apply that same strategy to the pieces of your life that will come together to realize your vision of health and wellness? Identify your “piles” – what are the important components of your life that fit into that frame of values?
Personal Puzzle “Piles” |
What the pieces might look like… |
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Mindset The lens through which you see ideas, situations, yourself and others affects everything you do and the way you do it. AKA – your attitude. |
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Sleep To recharge your body and mind, you need to devote adequate time to sleep and rest. |
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Stress While there are ways to avoid it, in today’s world, some amount of stress is inevitable. Stress management strategies are essential. |
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Nutrition Although nutritional needs are individualized, everyone can benefit from eating real, unprocessed, high quality, nutrient rich food. |
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Movement Your body was designed to move! Finding activities that you enjoy is key to any picture of health. |
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Connection Cultivating relationships makes you feel good not only mentally and emotionally, but physically as well. The exchange of caring and love between people releases hormones that have positive biological effects. |
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You have your border (values) and you have your manageable piles. However, you may still be unsure of how the pieces fit together and you are anxious to see the finished product.
But here’s the thing – a puzzle takes time.
The puzzles that are really gratifying to complete, the ones that you look at with pride, accomplishment, and awe once they are finished, are not done in one sitting. You expect this from the start, so you prepare by finding a dedicated space to work on your puzzle, so that the pieces aren’t disrupted.
As you work to fit new healthy behaviors into your life, the most important habit to adopt is having self-compassion. Free yourself of unrealistic expectations. Allow yourself the time and space that you need to make meaningful, sustainable changes.
Puzzles aren’t always straightforward.
Some pieces need to be evaluated from various angles to see how it fits with the others. You need to look for clues from the tiny portion of the picture on each piece. You find a spot where you think a piece might fit and you try it out, accepting trial and error as part of the process – because when the piece does fit, it is very exciting!
The pieces of your healthy lifestyle will come together in a unique way. If you open your mind to new possibilities and have the willingness to experiment with different approaches, you will find the perfect fit – for you.
Every bit of progress that brings you closer to the goal of seeing the completed picture inspires you to keep going. Even completing the smallest section that shows a glimpse of a slightly recognizable image can feel very rewarding. Pause, recognize and celebrate even the tiniest of actions that you take to honor your health.
Keep in mind that puzzles don’t need to be done alone.
Putting together a puzzle with a partner is not only more fun, but it’s easier. A partner helps you sort through and organize the pieces. A partner helps you figure out how the pieces fit together to create that picture on the box.
What area of your life could you focus on to reveal even a sliver of that ideal vision of yourself? What simple action could spark the motivation for the pieces in other areas of your life to fall into place? Only you have the answers to these questions and you will uncover them along your path to a healthy, enjoyable lifestyle.
If you are considering having someone to walk along-side you on your journey, let’s talk!
1 thought on “Putting Together Your Personal Health And Wellness Puzzle”
Thanks for this new perspective!