I used to be a very organized, scheduled and calculated person. But that was before kids. Nowadays, things tend to be a bit more chaotic and sticking to a routine certainly presents its challenges. While my intentions are good, and every Monday seems like a fresh start – healthy living goals always seem to dissipate by midweek. Does this happen to anyone else?

Whether I’m just getting older or…well, lets face it I am just getting older – I’m starting to realize how crucial sticking to these goals really is for my overall health and well-being. And if I’m going to maintain good health in the years to come, I really need to get back to the organized and focused person I was once upon a time.

With that being said, small goals are the most easily attained around here so in 2017 I set out to improve three aspects of my life that will reap the greatest benefits. Those are drinking more water, getting regular moderate exercise, and taking my vitamins.

First things first, I needed a way to ensure I was getting the two liters of water a day that is recommended for my size and BMI. So I pulled out my favorite water bottle and determined to keep it on the counter and filled up at all times to create a visual reminder to drink more often. I’m a habitual list-maker (to-do lists can be found all over my house), so having this very visual sign in my sight line has really helped me keep up with this goal successfully.

I have to admit that exercising regularly is still a challenge for me. With two little kids at home, making it to the gym requires packing up all three of us (and all our gear) if I have any hopes of working out. While our gyms child-care program is great and the kids love going, some days just getting there is daunting enough to make me decide against it. I’ve found though that deciding in advance which classes I want to take that week and scheduling them in my calendar helps get us out of the house and have a head start to the day.

Cooking for four different appetites and palates means that sometimes I end up eating whatever’s left over from each, and this doesn’t guarantee I’m getting all the nutrients my body needs. So I paid a much-needed visit to my Naturopath to determine what nutrients I was lacking (and required) to supplement my diet. I’m not on any special diet, so the basics like a multi-vitamin, Vitamin D, fish oil etc. we’re recommended for optimal health benefits.

One of the things though that always hindered me from sticking to taking my vits regularly was juggling all the bottles and quantities I needed to take throughout the day. I always forgot something and then eventually just gave up trying to keep track. But these days, things have gotten A LOT easier and I’ve been on such a regular schedule of taking my vitamins that I’m really proud of myself. When I started my 2017 vitamin goal, I was looking for a  brand that was as natural as possible – no additives, binders, chemicals, fillers or flavourings.  After a consultation with the Nutrition Direction at CustomVite and having informed her about what supplements I need to take, I realized this product was just what I was looking for.  I took the online survey here and they created a custom set of capsules containing all the high-quality, natural ingredients I needed and nothing else.  I was initially hesitant to take an online survey about my health but I was surprised by how professional it was.  Not only did it take me through my health goals and health concerns, but it also crosschecked for allergies and potential drug-nutrient interactions.  Impressive.  I was so excited to receive my personalized vitamins in the mail about a week or so later.

Now for the best part. All the vitamins I required were packaged into individual daily dose bags so that all I have to do is pull out one bag for the day and know that as long as I finish the contents of my bag each day, I’m good to go. I spread my vitamins out throughout the day and take a few capsules with each meal. This way I know I’m getting everything my body needs to maintain optimal health. No more multiple bottles or trying to remember how many from each bottle I need to take.  All CustomVite vitamins are super high quality, made in the USA, and third-party tested for purity – a bonus in my books. This new method of taking my vitamins has totally revolutionized my routine and sticking to it couldn’t be easier.

At the end of a day that I’ve taken all my vitamins, drank 2 liters of water and (hopefully) made it to the gym, I feel a real sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing that I can check all these goals off the to-do list. And this makes it that much easier to repeat it all over again on the next day.

What are your 2017 health goals? I’d love to hear them.

Leggings: Joe Fresh (sold-out, similar) l T-Shirt: J.Crew l Sneakers: Puma (similar) l Watch: Daniel Wellington l Water Bottle: Nathan

* Thank you CustomVite for collaborating on this post. All opinions are my own.