Start by Starting

I want to talk about the importance of tracking because I get met with a lot of resistance here.  I get it — It’s a new habit, so it can seem time-consuming and tedious to be thinking and documenting what, how much, and when you’re eating and drinking, sleeping, exercising, meditating, etc., and how you’re feeling before and after.  So why is this an important part of the process for ME and for YOU (read to the end)?

HELPFUL FOR ME:
(You’ve hired me, and this is what I need from you to do the job you hired me do)

1.  It helps me identify what changes to make first

All the ingredients in your health recipe are synergistic, so if we focus on the ones that need most improvement first, other areas will often start to improve all on their own.   This is good news for your because it minimizes your effort.

2.  It helps me develop ideal ranges for YOU

Your ranges will be unique to you because you don’t have the same body as your spouse, friend, or neighbor.  As you’re bringing me symptoms, scores, and weekly averages in each category on the tracker, I’m developing ideal ranges for YOU.

Tracking will then be a helpful tool for you to achieve consistency with those ranges, and it is that consistency (not perfection) which helps me identify the culprit when something gets out of whack.

3.  It helps me identify the root of the problem

One common example of things “getting out of whack” would be intense sugar cravings which can derail even the most committed and determined people.

Let’s say one day we notice that cravings are more frequent, persistent, and stronger than they have been (because you’ve been tracking scores).  If you have been consistent with your ranges for all the categories, the culprit will be easily identified on the tracker.

I’ll be able to see that your water and fruit and veggie consumption were in your ideal range as were your macros, meditation, etc.  But your sleep score was super low, and yesterday you went to birthday party and overdid it on the cake.  Now we have our answer/s, and we know the next steps to take.

The same is true with identifying the source of all sorts of other common concerns like nausea, headaches, bloating, fatigue, and irritability.  You just need to know a little bit about what to look for and how all the ingredients in your health recipe work together.

HELPFUL FOR YOU:

1.  Helps establish routine and consistency – Where your focus goes, your energy flows.

I mentioned that it’s the consistency that’s important for me to set your ranges.  If you’re being intentional about noticing and documenting the items on your tracker, it will become easier to maintain consistency (and then improve) in those same areas.  The faster we achieve consistency, the faster you will have ideal ranges, and the faster you will see progress.  So, it’s key to YOUR success.

2.  Saves you money

You don’t want to pay me forever, right?  If you get comfortable using this tracker and with associating certain behaviors with their results and documenting those on your tracker, you can pull it out years from now — long after your time with me is done — when something stops working and you don’t know why.

Your bio-profile will not always be the same.  Changes we make now may no longer serve you when your body and life circumstances change.  You can pull out this tracker, and within a week you can easily identify what areas need to be addressed and then set some goals in those areas.

It can be a fun investigation into yourself if you shift your perspective away from it being a tedious chore and toward it being an opportunity for loving curiosity and a desire to give your body what it deserves.  Yes, this process requires a little effort on your part, but it’s an invaluable tool for getting to know and heal yourself and for reaching your goals.  I guarantee that it will work, but it only works if you work it accurately and consistently.