No matter what resolutions you may have made last month, keeping them for an entire year might feel like a daunting task. For example, I love food, and the mention of healthier food can make anyone think, “Oh boy, this isn’t going to be good.” But when I began to think of eating well as less of a big, unpleasant change versus smaller decisions I could make every day – bringing lunches to work instead of eating out, for example – I was on the road to living better before I knew it.
I had a really big year in 2014. I got married, bought a house, and learned that my wife and I were expecting our first child together. I also reached some other goals I had in my life: paying off my debt, eating healthier, getting in good shape and spending more time with my family.
I don’t think I could have done it without my career at the Walmart distribution center, which is where I was introduced to the ZP Challenge, a program for Walmart associates, their families and friends. The program is simple and easy, and it gave me stepping stones to meet my goals by making small, positive changes in fitness, family, food, and budget.
First, I wanted to be debt-free before I married my wife, Lydia. The steps in ZP Challenge helped me to do that by encouraging me to budget better and save. I did this by eating more meals at home, and saving the money I normally spent at restaurants. Lydia does the challenge with me, and I think that it’s really key to have your family involved in order to succeed. They can be a great support system. With our savings, we were even able to pay up front for our wedding and our honeymoon trip to Cancun.
As we head into 2015 and get ready for the birth of our little girl, I plan to keep up my goals with ZP Challenge. I’m looking forward to continuing to save and eat healthy, and soon I’ll be taking our baby for walks.
Read
other associates’ stories of encouragement and motivation at ZPChallenge.com.