When you are trying to get somewhere, you need to know where you are starting from to know which way to go. This was reinforced for me last winter when I got to an unmarked fork on the trail and proceeded to snowshoe three miles in the wrong direction. Luckily for me, the weather was nice and there was plenty of daylight as I made my way back to the fork, then on to my car. (On the plus side, Roli appreciated extending the hike.)

During journeys towards improving your health, one challenge is that everyone has an idea about which direction you should take: You’re going the wrong way!

Seriously though, even when you know the right direction to head, there are many roads you can take. First, you need to decide your priority:

• Speed – I want to get there as fast as I can. (It’s almost beach season!)
• Optimize – I want six-pack abs no matter what it takes!
• Explore – I love to try new things to see what works best.
• Sustain – As long as my changes stick, I don’t mind taking my time.

If you choose speed, keep in mind this only works for a short time before you need to get back to something sustainable. If you picked one of the others, you are partly giving up the ones you did not chose.

When you have identified your priority, the direction is a bit easier to find. Keep moving and check your progress to avoid heading down a dead end. With dead ends, the further you go, the longer it will take to get back on track.

Where are you headed and what is your priority?