Once you have got the right mindset and you have clarity on why you want to eat healthy, the next step is planning for success. It’s not enough just to visualize how you want your life to look, nor is it as simple as just eating healthier. You have to set yourself up for success by planning ahead.

Now before you get frustrated and quit reading, planning doesn’t necessarily mean having detailed daily menus full of weird health foods that you’ve never heard of, not to mention even know how to prepare. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming! Got it? Good!

Now that we’ve got that straight, planning for success must become a priority. It’s no different than making sure you have clean running clothes and you know where your running shoes and watch are. You have to make sure that you have healthy foods on hand that you will actually eat. Trust me it will do you no good to have a fridge full of veggies if you don’t know when or how you will prepare them.

Before you head off to the grocery store, take a look at what’s on your calendar for the coming week. Do you have lunch meetings or dinner plans that will require you to eat out? Will you be busy after work not have time to cook dinner? Would you like to experiment with a new meal one night? And if so what night would work best? How many members of your family will you be feeding throughout the week? 

There are several ways to plan your meals and all are good. It’s really going to depend on what fits your lifestyle the best. For ideas make sure you grab my free guide: Meals On the Run. Plan your trip to the store at a time when you won’t be rushed. Allow for time to either prep for the week while you are putting away the food or block out some time to do it later. 

If this seems like a lot of work and you are wondering if it’s really worth the hassle, I completely get it. But remember anything worth doing, is worth doing it right! Go back and work on your mindset and get clear on what you want and what you are trying to achieve. Once you get that “No Matter What” feeling plug in and use it for motivation. Just like any new skill, it takes time to get used to it, but once you master it, then it becomes second nature. 

The whole point of planning is to set you up for success. You want to make sure you aren’t tempted to grab a bag of chips or call for pizza delivery because you’re tired and didn’t plan ahead. And while you are planning, make sure to stock your fridge and pantry with “back pocket meals” for those occasions when life throws you a curve ball.

By the way, this concept of planning ahead will work in all areas of your life. Give it a try! Are you a planner or do you fly by the seat of your pants? Or does it just depend on what it is? Leave me a comment below and let’s talk about what works for you!