Ready to make a lifestyle change that will make a difference in your life and health? Looking for a framework to follow as you assess your next move? I love the SOSPIE model of the National Wellness Institute: my go-to organization for personal and professional renewal which uses a holistic model of living with YOU in the driver’s seat.
SOCIAL
As you embark on a new healthier path how does this affect you socially? What networks and friendships will you leave behind and how will life be without them? After all, your current social network could be enabling the same behaviours you want to change.
- What current relationships do you have that may not be supportive for you?
- What new relationships will you need to cultivate to support your new efforts?
OCCUPATIONAL
How supportive is your work environment when it comes to making a lifestyle change? Have you tried before to make changes but not been successful because the environment was not conducive to your success? Make note of all the barriers so you are aware and not sabotaging yourself before you even start taking action steps.
- What work challenges will you face?
- What strategies will you need to implement at work to forward your progress?
SPIRITUAL
How would your beliefs about yourself change if you made a drastic change in your lifestyle? Is your identity wrapped up in who you are now, and if you changed, you would not be the same person? Would you feel lost without being the “old you”? Most of us feel spiritually alive when we are being true to ourselves.
- How will you manifest being true to yourself if you adopt a new lifestyle?
PHYSICAL
Is your body beaten down from all the years of stressful living? It is never too late to bring your body back in shape for the next half of life. And the good news is you can always find time to make health and fitness the priority it deserves. You are in fact in charge of your own priorities and your own schedule. I write Jazzercise on my calendar before anything else takes away my time and after 10 years, it is working great!
- What would you be willing to do to get your body moving on a regular basis?
INTELLECTUAL
You’ve been functioning at a highly cognitive level but you do need to provide your mind with some balance. All that intellectual stimulation can be very stressful without a break once in a while. You can “shift your gears” into intellectually stimulating activities that still enlighten your mind but aren’t so mentally heavy.
- How will you keep your brain engaged without over working it?
EMOTIONAL
Are you ready to accept the emotional impact of changing your lifestyle? After all, you may not be the same person you have already been once you change your behaviours. Since I believe in preventing problems before they arise, here are questions for you to address before you enter the next phase of your great life.
- What does my lifestyle look like now and how will I manage myself without being that way?
- What steps do I need to take to prepare for a smooth transition?
- What does the next half of my life look like and how will it make me feel? (Very good I hope!)
Hopefully this framework will help you move forward successfully into your new healthier lifestyle.
About the author:
Carol Ebert is an experienced and successful wellness practitioner, healthy lifestyle coach and role model for what healthy aging looks like. She is a passionate promoter of people’s potential and inspires people to work creatively through life’s roadblocks to reach their highest goals and realize their dreams using the tools from her book “Too Busy for YOU? How to Prioritize Yourself for a Balanced, Mindful and Happy Life.”
