13 April 2014| last updated at 09:14PM

HEALTHY lifestyle, two simple words with great meaning that most of us take for granted. Every year, we find that making the right food choices and losing the holiday weight by engaging in physical activities often make it to the top of almost everyones New Years resolution list. But how often do we walk the talk?

We often tell ourselves that its crucial to lead a healthy lifestyle but how often have we crossed it out from our last years to-do list or recycled it for this years resolution yet again?

Making a change in our lifestyle is a big challenge. Some may even find it so difficult that giving up and heading back to our old habits seems like a more interesting proposition!

Just like the adage Rome wasnt built in a day, leading a healthy lifestyle isnt something that can be achieved overnight. Success is the result of taking one step at a time coupled with clear goals and perseverance.

Take, as an example, our national champions. Their journey and success, and where they are today were not achieved in a day. Their journey has been peppered with defeats after defeats along the way, and filled with strenuous training leading to memorable victories. With determination and a strong mindset, our athletes are now champions in Malaysias eyes. If they can do it, why cant we? We must set goals to live out what really matters to our overall health and well-being.

GOLDEN SWIMMER WITH POSITIVE ENERGY

Having represented Malaysia for the past 12 years, Khoo Cai Lin has enjoyed an illustrious swimming career, and is still going strong as an international medal contender. She started swimming at 3 and as she grew older, her passion for swimming grew and the sport continues to be her first love. The 25-year old Olympian has participated in various swimming competitions such as the Majlis Sukan Sekolah Malaysia as well as represented Malaysia in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics Games.

Amid the pool of awards that Khoo has been receiving, juggling of different responsibilities, stretching her training hours and eating healthy have always been her main concern. To keep her going, she also believes that embracing positive thoughts will lead to positive results.

Positive thinking is much more than just feeling happy or displaying a cheerful attitude. It is about creating real value in our life that helps us build a solid foundation that will last much longer than a smile. According to Khoo, positive thinking is a combination of various elements that would lead to great success.

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Inspired by champions