Fresh starts to inspire us to keep MO’ving forward with MO’re focus on heart health.
I am always excited about the start of a new month! To me, the new beginnings it brings. I am not alone. There is a phenomenon called “the fresh start effect” which is a powerful driver of our MO’tivation and behaviour. The research to take action on our goals, kick-off new habits or make some other change in our lives at the start of the year, the start of the month, or the start of the week (Dai et al., 2014)
While this New Year may not have started as we had envisioned, that doesn’t mean it has to set the tone for the rest of 2022. February is a fresh start! You are presented with an opportunity to re-imagine and re-do our approach to 2022. What if this year you treated every month like it was the start of the New Year? Can you imagine if every month you acted as if it were January and got re-energized for your goals and vision and new direction for your life?! This is an approach I have used to keep my MO’tivation going and keep me MO’ving forward for a long time.
This year I added an extra element to keep me MO’tivated for every month of the year. It’s called a vision board. What became clear to me in creating my vision board was a central word/theme – to INSPIRE. That is how I want to feel and the difference I want to make this year. It’s also the feeling I have at the start of every month!
This brings me to an exciting new development on my website and personal brand. If you have been following me for some time, you know that my vision for the last few years has been “Influencing Positive Change for Women Worldwide”. At the start of this year, and after reflecting on my goals and vision for 2022, I have decided to re-imagine some of the focus and intention behind my brand and website. You will know that my new mission is to “INSPIRE Positive Change for All”. My blog and vision for helping people have shifted to meet the needs of a more diverse audience and be accessible to all.
The meaning of words is fascinating. While it may not sound like much of a change, let me explain to you the difference between “influence” and “inspire” and how this is going to play out in the evolution of my vision for 2022 and beyond. To “influence” means having “the power to change or affect someone or something”. To “inspire” means “to make (someone) want to do something” or “to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create”. Again, you can see how this makes my vision of serving the world much greater as well as my impact and the difference I envision I can make in the world. You can read more about the fascinating origins of the word “to inspire” here!
I am inspired to start this month and how it aligns with my goals and direction for 2022. February has the feel of a re-boot and it is time. Revisit your WHY and the goals that you set for yourself. If you missed my blog series in January 2022 and would like some help with this download my FREE MO’ving Your WHY Forward in 2022 Guide here to learn about finding your WHY and how to lead with WHY this year as a new approach to setting your goals!
The positive change I wish to inspire this month is focused on building awareness of the importance of heart health and things we can all and should all be doing for our hearts. February in Canada is National Heart Month, and it is so important that we pay attention to our heart health and keep this muscle strong all year long. After all, caring for your health so you can take those steps and have the passion and the drive to go after your goals. So what can we do?
The first thing to do is to know your numbers. The important numbers to know for blood pressure are 120/80 mg Hg. Do you know your blood pressure? How often do you check it? Get to know your numbers and check them regularly. Even if the numbers aren’t good now, there are many lifestyle changes and ways you can fix them!
Why is this important? We cannot love our lives or realize our WHY to the fullest without taking care of our hearts. Remember the equation: Passion + Purpose = Outcome. I know that if I want to reach our goals and inspire positive change in the world this year, my heart health needs to be a central part of self-care. High blood pressure and heart disease are called the “silent killer” because there are no warnings signs. Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, or a family history of high blood pressure, Canada’s Heart and Stroke Foundation says everyone should take high blood pressure seriously. Whether you have high blood pressure or you know someone who does, it affects us all. There are approximately 6 million Canadians who have high blood pressure. Did you know that the Heart and Stroke Foundation also estimates that 17% of people who have high blood pressure in Canada do not even know they have it? It is our collective responsibility to do something about this serious issue and care for each other by educating ourselves and educating those around us—especially those we care about most.
To help us all remember to focus MO’re on our heart health this month follow me on social media where I will share a heart healthy tip every day and also be doing several Instagram live videos and interviews to share more great education and resources to make your heart healthy aware. Come join me on Instagram!
YOU can become a champion of heart health, set an example for others, and contribute to your community by getting CPR certified. Find CPR certification training through canfitpro: https://www.canfitpro.com/cpr-aed/. In only a few hours you can learn a skill that one day may save a life if you have to.
Make a commitment to be MO’re heart aware this month. Show your care and responsibility for the community and love for your heart. Taking care of ourselves leads to taking care of others and makes the world a better place. That is an inspiring vision for all of us.
