Between October and December, I was traveling, doing presentations, and generally not sticking to a routine. It took a toll on my system and so at the beginning of December, I decided to make a better plan for the following month so that I’d be able to be well and live healthy despite whatever craziness might come my way (especially since January to March are my busiest months of the year at the office).

These are three techniques that I have been using over the past month and which I would recommend to anyone else who is trying to stay on track with healthy living when you’re juggling all kinds of projects and responsibilities:

1. Track it. In December, I created a document for myself that has a check list for every day of the month. Each day has the same 12 items on it, and I try to ensure that I do at least half of the items on the list every day. They range from walking to eating leafy green to going to boot camp to meditating to dry brushing to monitoring my body fat percentage. For me, this is a really great way to ensure that I actually do all of these things! Yours might be anything from flossing your teeth to walking the dog to phoning your friend… anything goes, if it’s something that you know will help you (and perhaps the people around you!) be well.

2. Watch your progress. I have a big glass jar, and I put a dollar in the jar every day that I complete at least half of the items on my check list. Even though they are all very simple day-to-day tasks, I feel that it’s important to do this to make sure that I don’t let anything fall by the wayside. And it’s really fun to watch those dollars pile up! I’m looking forward to eventually spending it 😉

3. Write it down. I use Health Writer Eats as my food diary to track what I eat, but I also have a personal document on the computer that I use to record my thoughts, challenges and successes whenever I feel like it. This can be useful if I’m having an off-day to sort of quiet my mind, write whatever I’m thinking, and get to the root of why I’m not feeling so great.

I plan to continue doing each of these items over the next few months and potentially the rest of the year. It might not work for everyone, but I love being able to see and track my progress and successes, and to challenge myself to live healthier every day!

What simple techniques do you use to stay on track with healthy living? Share in the comments section below!