How to Actually Kickstart Your Wellness Journey
Taking that first step toward wellness can feel impossible. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m too busy. I’ll start next month. These thoughts become excuses, and those excuses keep us from choosing ourselves.
Growing up in Sierra Leone, fitness was never a priority for my family. I wasn’t raised to go exercise or eat the most balanced meals. My father suffered from chronic health issues, and I watched his health deteriorate because he never took any steps to change things. We’re African, we’ve always eaten like this, and we’re still here. They didn’t see the point in changing what they’d always known — even if it meant improving their health.
But when I moved to the US, I met my best friend, Page, who changed my life when it came to wellness. It wasn’t necessarily about fitness or nutrition, she just encouraged me to be active, and we became inseparable over this shared love of movement.
After college, I moved to New York and started documenting my wellness journey. It started with short workout videos or photos of my meals. Working in corporate America, my workouts and meals were by no means glamorous. But it was about the discipline I built for myself, and the mindset of doing something for myself — a mindset I’ve always prioritized.
Page was the one who first sparked my love for wellness. We always talked about building something in this space together. When she passed away in 2023, my whole perspective shifted. Navigating that loss was one of my greatest challenges. I was already sharing my life online, but suddenly, it felt bigger than me. People who knew us still remember us as “the healthy, fit sisters.” And over the years, so many have messaged me saying how much they love my lifestyle or how I’ve inspired them to take better care of themselves. That’s when I realized that in showing up for myself and sharing my story, I could honor her through the same activities that brought us together. I’ve been keeping her spirit alive. I’m still building what we dreamed of, just with more heart behind it now. Even now, I truly believe there is nothing more fulfilling than taking care of yourself. You can have all the wealth or power in the world, but nothing will buy you more time on this earth or a healthier body.
Me and Page circa 2015!
What helped me most was just starting.
When I was starting my fitness journey, the best thing I did was remind myself to just start. Even if I didn’t have time for an hour-long gym session, I could go on a walk after dinner, or jump rope for 20 minutes. If I didn’t have time to meal prep or track macros, I could at least pack a healthy snack. With the rise of social media, there’s this idea that fitness has to look a certain way — perfectly polished, cute sets, and green smoothies. But that’s not the reality for most people. If you’re in school, working, or taking care of a family, you don’t have the luxury of living up to a glamorized wellness standard. But that’s not an excuse to not wake up every day and choose your mind and body, however that may look. You don’t need to wait for next week, or next month, or New Year’s Day. You don’t need to look a certain way or know everything about the gym to sign up. The time will pass either way, and in six months, you can be closer to your wellness goals — or exactly where you started.
Healthy Habits Happen When You Design a Lifestyle That Supports Them
It’s one thing to start, and it’s another thing to maintain healthy habits. We’ve all been there — sign up for a gym membership, feel motivated for a week, and then life happens. Maybe we’ll buy healthy foods at the beginning of the week, just to end up ordering takeout by Wednesday. I get it. I’ve worked corporate jobs for over a decade while trying to maintain my fitness — it hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve found what works for me. At this point, I’ve gotten it down to a science. The hard truth? There isn’t one single hack or habit that will magically change your life. Instead, you need to create a lifestyle that supports the habits you’re trying to build and make them easy to maintain. Why sign up for a 7 AM Pilates class if you’re up until 1 AM every night? If you only have 30 minutes to cook, keep ingredients on hand that make healthy meals quick and easy.
Where most people go wrong is trying to force “healthy habits” into a lifestyle that doesn’t support long-term maintenance. When motivation fades and it’s time to do the work to continue these habits, they blame external circumstances for falling off track instead of designing a life that supports their goals. Life will always happen and not everything is in our control. But ask yourself: Long term, why focus on what you can’t control when you can empower yourself with what you can? You are responsible for the life you live.
The Habits That Anchor Me
At this point in my journey, I’ve built the discipline to keep a consistent routine. But routines look different for everyone, especially given one’s lifestyle. For example, I start my day around 5:30 AM, but try and end as early as possible. Someone else might not get their day going until 9 AM, but work later into the evening. At least for me, I’ve always found it the most rewarding to work during the early morning hours.
Here’s what mine looks like right now:
I express my gratitude every morning and thank God that I get to see another day. No matter how tough life feels, I remind myself: someone out there didn’t wake up today or is fighting to stay alive. Practicing gratitude helps me start with clarity and purpose, and keeps me grounded.
I try to move in the morning, whether that’s a workout, a stretch, or a walk. I work out 5-6 times a week now, but I didn’t start that way. Sometimes it was once a week. Do what is realistic for you. A short walk in the morning? Still counts. It sets the tone for my day and keeps me grounded.
Kickstarting your wellness journey really comes down to perspective. I hope this sparked something in you — a reason to finally choose yourself.
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