It’s no secret that having a healthy routine is essential. But what happens when you try to create a too restrictive and unrealistic routine? You give up! I know this from experience. A few years ago, I tried to follow a workout program that was too intense for me while working a full-time job. As a result, I was exhausted by the end of the day and had no energy left for anything else. I would also force myself to meal prep every Sunday but often ate unhealthy takeout because I didn’t enjoy what I was prepping. After struggling with this for a while, I decided to make small changes that impacted my routine. Here are some of the steps I took to create a healthy but realistic routine.

Knowing precisely what you want to accomplish for the week gives you a place to start. I would suggest writing this down to take these goals from your head onto a piece of paper (sometimes there’s too much chaos in our brains). Now that you have it written, it will be easy to continue planning your week.

If you’re struggling to come up with goals, I’ve got some ideas for you:

These are just a few examples to get you started. You can personalize them to fit what works best for you!

Do you ever think to yourself, “Ok, I’m going to work out today after I get home from work”. The day goes by, and you get off of work, start cooking, sit to eat, and next thing you know, it never happened. Well, this is where adding it to your calendar comes in. If you have a specific slot to make your priorities happen, you can stay organized.

Adding these things to your calendar gives them more importance and allows you to stay accountable.

When you have a doctor’s appointment, you most likely always add it to your calendar. You set up an alarm or reminder to get to your appointment and make sure you arrive on time. Realistically you can’t just make your doctor’s appointment happen whenever you get a chance. This appointment has to be made in advance and locked in. This is the same thing you have to do with your schedule. If it’s not done this way, will you make your priorities happen?

Bonus Tip:  Use a planner! Planners are great for writing out your goals, appointments, and other tasks that need to get done!

Now that you’ve established your goals and put them into your calendar, it’s time to make sure they’re realistic. This is key because you’ll be more likely to skip it if your routine doesn’t fit into your schedule.

If you notice that your routine is not realistic, this is your time to make some changes. For example, if you want to fit in your daily walks, ask yourself: what would be the best time to make this happen, during the morning time, during my lunch break, or after work? Since you have your schedule written down, you’ll be able to look at it and see what time works best.

When creating a healthy but realistic routine, you must find what works best for you and your lifestyle. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer, just what works for you!

Let’s face it, life happens! You might have a day or two where you don’t meet your goal. You might have to switch some things around to make your priorities happen. That’s ok! This is where being realistic and flexible comes in. Try to think of two or three things that can come up last minute during the week and how you can switch things around.

The key is to be as flexible as possible while still sticking to your routine as much as possible. This will help keep you accountable and on track!

This will help ease you into your new routine without feeling overwhelmed. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day! Establishing a healthy but realistic routine takes time and dedication, but it’s worth it!

Now that you have a few tips on how to create a healthy but realistic routine put these into action and see how they work for you! Creating and following a routine can be challenging, but it’s worth it. Remember to personalize them to fit what works best for you and your lifestyle! If you feel like you could use some help with reaching your goals, join my coaching program ! I’ll be happy to help you get started with your health goals. In the meantime you can:

Making a healthy but realistic routine may seem like a lot of work, but you can do this with some planning and effort! Just remember to take things one step at a time, and don’t be too hard on yourself if something doesn’t go according to plan. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to establishing a healthy but realistic routine and crushing your goals.