Creating an action plan and following it strictly, especially if it entails new routines for your body, is challenging and needs discipline. The action plan that I created was difficult for the first few days. As a result, I came up with some steps to help me apply the action plan, and I managed to effectively maintain discipline in implementing it for the rest of the period.
The first action I came up with was to write a reminder on my phone and set the alarm to notify me when the time to sleep was near, mostly three hours earlier. I made sure when the alarm rang, I started preparing for bed. This step gave me enough time to eat two hours before and take a shower to decompress from my day. The reminder was effective in maintaining discipline, and as a result, my body switched and adapted to the new routine.
Furthermore, I always made sure that I ate a balanced diet for my health and drank enough water. When a new routine is introduced to the body, there are many struggles, which may lead to procrastination at times (Hoeger et al., 2018). For that reason, one should eat a healthy meal to reduce resistance. The exercises in the morning made me sweat a lot, which called for drinking much water to cater to the loss through sweating. In addition, my body, at first was very stiff when exercising. I felt heavy, and this left me with so much fatigue after I had completed the exercise. The balanced diet meal and plenty of water helped heal the stretched muscles and make them more flexible and willing to go further.
Moreover, by taking a balanced diet and plenty of water, I made sure that I took a shower to reduce fatigue when I exercise in the morning. During the first two days, I realized that fatigue makes one lose the morale of willing to go further with the action plan. The remedy for this challenge in the morning was taking a relaxing shower, and I felt good for the rest of the day. This intervention was much help as I always wanted the day to end faster, so I can exercise again and take a relaxing shower. The action plan became more interesting as the days progressed.
In the beginning, I viewed the action plan as a difficult task for me. When the two weeks elapsed, I realized that I was even supposed to reduce the time limit to one week because my body was adapted to the new routine. My performance was good though there were some challenges, which I managed to overcome. I tried my best and maintained discipline, which helps me to implement the action plan successfully.
I was successful in achieving my goal for the two weeks that I had planned. I have been consistent with working at least five days a week and walking my dog at least two miles a day. I learned that discipline is fundamental, and I kept myself focused on the set schedule. I would push myself constantly, but at the same time, I stayed mindful and listened to my body. I believe that this is not a race; I am also more conscious of my health and the people around me. Taking this medical self-assessment course, I appreciated the importance of exercising. I now understand health behaviors within myself and others, improve health habits, reduce risk factors, and acknowledge the importance of healthy living, which made me push harder in exercising.
At the end of the two weeks, I felt much different. My body has become more flexible, and I can walk miles without struggling. In addition, I can work out for an hour without stopping. I cannot feel as heavy as I was feeling, and I think my lifestyle has increased in standards. There are no unintended consequences other than waking up earlier, but I still struggle to go to bed early.
There are much unexpected benefits that I have gained through this action plan. My body became more flexible than before, and I can do the exercises without any strain. Additionally, I lost the extra weight, and my appetite increased. Although there were many positives, I also had some challenges. For example, I found difficulty balancing a new business, work, employees, and my new lifestyle.
Overall, to improve my future outcomes, I would modify my action plan by adding some aspects. First, I would introduce rewards upon completing a particular task on time. The prizes will help motivate me to maintain self-discipline. Additionally, to improve my overall wellness for me, I will set aside one day every week to visit the gym to enable me to raise my workout experience and break the monotony of exercising in one place. I would also add a rule of not using the phone at night to make it possible to sleep early.
Reference
Hoeger, W. W., Hoeger, S. A., Hoeger, C. I., & Fawson, A. L. (2018). Lifetime physical fitness and wellness. Cengage Learning.