Staying motivated is no easy feat. It is probably one of the most difficult things when trying to change. The key is to give yourself the tools for success right from the start. Let us help you keep your motivation going strong with these four great tips!
1. Define Your Purpose and Visualize Success
What does success mean to you? Before writing your goals, it’s important that you have a clear definition of success and a reason for wanting to make the goal in the first place. A goal without resolve is no goal at all, it’s just wishful thinking! To find your resolve, you need to define the importance of your goals, and why you want to make the change.
Ask yourself the following questions:
How will completing my goal change my life for the better?
How will the results affect those around me?
How will accomplishing my goal make me feel about myself?
Try answering these questions on a sheet of paper to make your purpose more concrete. For example, if your goal is to follow a keto diet and lose weight, then you might make a list of activities you will find easier after losing the extra pounds like playing more freely with your kids or going on a hike! You also might want to lose weight to feel more confident and accomplished. It’s good to include both external and internal motivators in your list.
After you have a purpose, you can visualize what your success will look and feel like. Defining your end goal and visualizing your success will help you to have more resolve and reach your goal!
2. Take baby steps: set small, measurable goals to reach your ultimate goal.
It’s easy to look in the mirror and get discouraged by the distance between your current self and your end goal — we’ve all been there. So why do some people find success while others don’t? They ask themselves one simple question:
“What can I do today, right now, to improve my life and reach my goal?”
So your ultimate goal is to lose weight, and you’ve decided that you need to eat better and exercise to lose the pounds — that’s great! But what will that look like for you on a day-to-day basis? You might start by eliminating your morning Pop-Tarts ritual and replace it with a new passion for overnight oats, or maybe you simply start by putting less sugar in your coffee. As for exercise, it can be as easy as trying to incorporate a short afternoon walk into your routine or doing ten minutes of mild exercise or stretches every day. Start where you can and work from there! Eventually these “baby steps” will get easier, and that’s how you know that you’ve leveled up and it’s time to give yourself a new set of challenges.
The best way to determine what your first steps will be — and to stick to them — is to write them down under your bigger goals (I like to write mine in a pyramid and include doodles). Then, place your plan somewhere that you’ll see it everyday — sticking it on your fridge or your mirror works great!
Don’t forget to reward yourself for the little victories along the way! People get caught up on the end goal and forget to celebrate the small things that are just as important. If my smaller goal is to run three days a week, and I complete my goal for the week, I might reward myself with a bubble bath and a face mask. Remember, this whole journey is in the name of self-care, so you’ll want to find a reward that will make your heart happy.
3. Create a productive environment and find a support group
Okay, so you have a purpose, you’ve set some goals, you’ve made a plan and now you’re ready to get started. But wait — what about your actual life? Sometimes, what sounds good on paper can be really difficult to execute if you don’t adjust other things in your life to match your goals. This can be different for everyone, but what it boils down to is creating a new environment for yourself that supports the lifestyle changes you want to make, and to find a group of people that will support the new you and will hold you accountable to your goals. If you want to go on a walk every day then find yourself a walking group. If you want to keep from eating carbs, then buy a replacement food for the loaf of bread you would usually buy on your weekly grocery run. Don’t go to the coffee shop with good pastries if you are trying to avoid them — you get the idea.
4. Give your best effort, but realize no one is perfect
When it comes to setting goals — be it implementing a new diet or attempting to make a lifestyle change — consistency is the most important step for lasting results. That being said, no one is perfect and you might slip-up, and that’s okay. If your goal is to eliminate sweets, eating one cookie is not going to discount all the dedication it took for you to turn down all those sweets you were offered prior to the cookie — unless you completely give up, that is. If you anticipate the slip-up, you’re less likely to binge and feel guilty.
If your goal is to eliminate sweets, allow yourself to have the occasional treat, knowing that it’s okay in moderation. But don’t allow yourself to eat the whole box of cookies if it’s going to result in a tummy ache and a feeling of guilt.
If your goal is to stretch for 5 minutes every morning, then make it a point to set a timer and stretch for the full time. But if you sleep in one morning, no big deal- you can find a way to make up for it throughout your workday with micro stretches, and you’ll stretch tomorrow.
Just try your best and be kind to yourself — that’s the best way to stay consistent.
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