Actionable Aspirations: The Circle of Health
Don’t stumble through each year - build your health consciously.
It’s time to get honest about your health. There are three stories that need to be reviewed to help you become clear about your goals and how you will reach them:
What has my health been like in the past?
What is my current state of health?
What will my future state of health be, based on my past and current states?
You state of health can be linked to the four pillars of Ayurvedic wellbeing shown in the chart below, which are diet, lifestyle, sleep and routine. These pillars hold up your health and wellbeing every day, which in turn support many different areas of your life including your career goals, healthy relationships, stress management, personal development, ability to stay calm and present, as well as joy and satisfaction with yourself and your life. Everything is connected, and so everything matters. Diet and routine are particularly important as they influence sleep and lifestyle, so these weigh in a little more in the graph below.
Four pillars of holistic health
As an exercise to review this year in terms of your health, how would you rate the quality of each of these pillars in your current state?
Score each area out of 100 as follows, to the best of your understanding and with complete honesty:
Diet score: Based on how you eat, what you eat as well as how you digest and eliminate you food.
Lifestyle score: Based on how you spend you manage stress and change, how regularly you exercise and if it is helping you, and how much you enjoy your work and relationships.
Sleep score: Based on both the quality and quantity of sleep you get, and your energy levels during the day.
Routine score: Based on whether you have a routine, and if it includes regular meals, exercise, sleep, social events, rest and meditation.
How would each of the numbers compare to five years ago, or a time when you felt your best?
Which pillars do you think need to improve the most for you to reach your health goals, and help you feel better overall and progress in the other areas of your life?
Often, prioritising can feel overwhelming because we have long lists of things to work on, and no time to sit down and reflect on where to start. Here’s where actionable aspirations can help you make some key decisions for your next steps. Grab a pen and paper to work out your aspiration for 2023:
What’s your highest value? Examples are freedom, contentment, joy, authenticity, peace, etc. Choose one word that lights you up without overthinking it.
Why is this your highest value? Is there something you are reaching for? Brainstorm this concept for a few minutes - this is the process of discovering yourself. Leave judgement and cynicism out of this space; allow yourself to be open and curious.
What stops you from experiencing your highest value? For example, do your niggling health issues make you feel less peaceful, or does your relationship with your family or work limit your authentic self?
What can you do to help yourself overcome these barriers and connect with your highest value? Think of small steps to start - finding time for meditation, exercise, or cooking? Do you need to identify and adjust harmful habits or behaviours? Would learning new skills, such as breath work, how to cook healthy meals, a home yoga practice, self reflection practices, or journaling help?
Pick 2-3 steps from your answers above that seem manageable and enjoyable, and make these your actionable aspirations. Tie them back to your highest value so everything is aligned and you are clear on your intentions. For example, I will find more calm this year by creating a routine to cook five days a week and learning to meditate every morning. Find resources such as courses, teachers, websites and books to help you make the changes as smooth as possible.
Write down your aspiration and stick it on your fridge, your bedside table, your bathroom mirror - somewhere visible where you can repeat it everyday. Use it to stay consistent and navigate daily decisions that are aligned with your values.
Now that you’ve taken the first step, by having a sincere reflection on your current state of health, and then setting some aspirations for where you want to be in a years time, I can help your discern your unique constitution and challenges, so you can start with the smallest and simplest changes. We build momentum based on your values, and in the bigger scheme, this helps you develop the most important relationship in your life: the one with your Self. Let’s make your pillars stand straight and tall, to keep your health and wellbeing a top priority throughout your life.
