The last time I (truly) set a health goal was in 2012. It was a diet and weight loss goal. I did really well for about three or four months but then the holidays happened. I bounced back quickly after Thanksgiving but the same was not true for Christmas. In fact, I gained about 10 of the 30 pounds I had lost. I started the gym the summer of 2013 and continued through the summer of 2014 including during my pregnancy. I did not lose weight but did not gain any either which I was OK with me since I knew I had more muscle mass.

Fast-forward to today, my baby is eight months old (yay baby!) and by the time he turns one, I want to look and feel great and more importantly be more healthy.

In order to achieve that goal, I have challenged myself to create four habits and reach a health goal during the next four months.

With the help of a little tech, here is what I will do:

1- Be mindful of my daily activity by tracking my movement. I will set a daily step goal with a range of 5k-10k steps.

I will track my steps with an activity wristband. I am currently using the VivoFit by Garmin but thanks to Verizon, I will also be testing out the fitbit charge.

2- Be mindful of my diet by tracking what I eat and drink. I will set a daily goal of 1,500-2,000 calories and 64 ounces of water.

I have used MyFitnessPal app in the past and it worked well, so I will give it another go. If you know of a good calorie tracker I’d love to hear about it.

3- Be mindful of my physical strength. Get to the gym at least twice a week for weight training.

I see a lot of walking in my near future. I also see me doing more housework and even more dance performances for the sake of entertaining baby and now, adding steps to my day. BUT, I like to have a consistent IRL (In Real Life) activity to help me stay accountable. Hence, the gym. To motivate myself even more, I will have a little fun with it by using apps like InstaVid to share photos and videos of my workouts on social media using #BSoFit.

4- Be mindful of my mantra. Start the day with an affirmation.

My friend and fellow #VZWBuzz-er Monica Villa AKA the Online Mom, told me about the fitness resource My Yoga Gaim TV. Through it I created a personal mantra via a survey process within the My Yoga Gaim TV website, and today I would like to share it with you. I have to admit that I have only affirmed it a few times this year, but during this process, I would like to remind myself every morning that “I got this.”

Come August, I will reevaluate my process and achievements and set a new goal. One of the positive reinforcements I have to get me started this time is that I did not gain all of the 30 pounds back from that 2012 mission. I even had a baby and I am still lighter than I was the summer of 2012. I think it’s important to remind yourself of something you have accomplished even if it is not fitness related when starting a new health goal. Then it’s important to remind yourself as much as you can throughout your journey of your goal and the steps you are taking. In my case, the steps I am taking are the four habits I listed above.

Are you on a mission this spring and summer? Tell me about it! I need all the motivation I can get.

I am a Verizon Ambassador and receive products as part of the program. All opinions are my own.