Deciding to finally take the leap and change your lifestyle can be really exciting, especially in the beginning.
But one of the more difficult aspects of behavior change is maintaining that motivation.
From not knowing how to transition into the maintenance phase to feeling like you’re spinning your wheels, yet not going anywhere, or simply feeling less energized, there can be many reasons for our determination to start to waver.
So today, I’m sharing my top 7 tips for staying motivated and on track with your health goals!
1. Set and reevaluate your goals.
One of the biggest reasons why many of us struggle to stay motivated is that we don’t have clearly defined goals.
Think about goals as an action plan. They should tell you exactly what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it, and when you’re going to achieve it.
For example, rather than saying you want to start running, a SMART goal would be:
I want to run 3 days a week, for 30 minutes each time, for the next month. After a month, I’ll reevaluate and either increase to running 4 days a week or try going for one long run a week.
By having very clearly defined goals, there’s no question about what you need to do to achieve the healthier lifestyle that you want.
But what if you already have specific goals but still aren’t motivated?
Then it’s time to ensure that your goals are attainable and relevant.
For attainable goals, this means they should be realistic. If you find yourself constantly coming up short of your goals, you’ll likely lose motivation quickly.
In this case, you want to reflect on what about the goal isn’t realistic right now and alter your goal to better fit your current lifestyle.
As for relevancy, this refers to a goal that’s actually important to you. Just because your doctor says you should lose 10 pounds doesn’t mean that you’re motivated to do so.
Make sure whatever your goal is, that you feel invested in it and excited about working towards it.
2. Write out a schedule.
Personally, I buy a weekly planner every year, and at the start of each week, I go through and schedule my workouts (including the time I plan to start and the type of workout for the day), tasks I need to accomplish for work, and walking or stretching breaks.
It might sound like a lot of work, but physically scheduling your workouts assures that there’s room in your day to fit it in. I also like setting walking or stretching breaks as when you’re working from home, it can be easy to sit in one place most of the day.
You can also schedule other types of goals. Maybe you’re trying to get better at meal prep, so you’ll block out time one day a week to prep your meals in advance.
Or, if you still like to cook every day, you can simply put a hard stop in your day around 5:30pm to start preparing dinner.
Whatever the goal is, having it scheduled into your day can help make sure it stays a top priority.
3. Keep motivating factors visible
Even if you’re setting specific goals that all work towards achieving that one larger goal, it can be easy to lose sight of why you were motivated in the first palace.
Maybe you want to get in better shape to complete a difficult hike this summer. Or perhaps you want to lose 20 pounds to help reduce joint pain. You could also just want to gain muscle to feel stronger and more confident.
Whatever your reason is, put a reminder of your overarching goal in a spot that you look at often. For example, if hiking is your goal, set a picture of the peak you hope to climb as the background on your phone.
Don’t have a picture of your motivating factor? Tape a quote to your bathroom mirror, place lab results near your nightstand, or keep that pair of pants you want to fit into clearly visible in your closet.
4. Set and celebrate non-scale successes
Despite the emphasis on weight, the number on the scale is just one piece of a much larger picture of your health and happiness.
In fact, you could take two people who weigh the same and find that they have completely different cholesterol levels, body fat percentages, strength, endurance, and happiness.
So, instead of weight as your only marker of success, start setting, noticing, and celebrating non-scale successes.
Some examples include:
- Increased core strength – maybe you can hold a plank for longer.
- Improved endurance when walking, running, or hiking.
- Less joint pain throughout the day.
- Improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
- Perfecting a difficult yoga pose.
- Noticing your clothes are fitting better.
- Having better energy levels.
- Eating more servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
- Improved skin quality from drinking more water.
5. Find foods or workouts that excite you
No matter how good your intentions are, if your new eating habits or workouts don’t excite you, chances are you won’t stick with them for very long.
So, if you’re dreading running on the treadmill in the morning, maybe look up free cardio kickboxing or Zumba classes online.
Or, for eating healthier, rather than making the same 5 recipes every week, look up a recipe online that you’ve never made before. Or, better yet, buy a cookbook that’s different from your normal recipes and make one or two recipes from it each week.
Whatever it is that has you feeling less than excited, there are lots of ways to spice up your current habits a bit.
6. Reflect on how far you’ve already come and celebrate successes
Even if you’re doing everything right, sometimes it can feel like you aren’t making any progress. And that feeling can cause you to doubt whether it’s worth sticking with your new lifestyle behaviors.
When this happens, it’s helpful to look back on all the progress you have made. You may be surprised to see how far you’ve come over the past week, month, or even year.
Sometimes you just need that reminder to keep you moving forward. And again, remember to look at non-scale achievements too!
Also, try to celebrate even the small successes along the way.
Whether it’s buying a new pair of shoes once you’re able to run 3 miles on the treadmill, or treating yourself to a hot bubble bath after meal prepping, find some way to reward your efforts.
7. Be forgiving and understanding
Whether an injury, a new baby, or being busier at work, there are many reasons why it may be harder for you to achieve your goals. And that’s okay.
Rather than slumping into a cycle of guilt and loss of motivation, take a moment to be understanding and forgiving of yourself.
And once you’ve acknowledged why it’s been so hard to stay on track, be okay with reevaluating your goals and adjusting them to better fit what your life currently looks like. After all, you can always adjust your goals again later.
The bottom line
Especially right now it can be hard to stay motivated.
And while all these tips can help, sometimes you just need a little encouragement to keep going.
