Motivation is fleeting. Some days you will wake up fired up and ready to go…other days it may be a struggle to get out of bed. This is completely normal. So how do people do it? How do some people just stay engaged for long periods of time? There is no real secret other than the fact that the engaged individual has transferred their initial motivation into their routine and lifestyle habits.
Here are three ways that can help you to stay engaged while you work on changing those habits and forming new routines:
- Set new goals — shift your long-term goals to shorter term goals. Setting and achieving these smaller goals can help to keep the fire alive. It’s fun and exciting when you get to accomplish your goals… most people’s goals are too big and too far out of sight. Narrow the goal to something achievable like perfecting form, increasing weight on the bar, or running a faster mile. Be sure to celebrate the progress when you hit the short-term milestones!
- Change things up — the same old stuff gets boring! Don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment. Try a new style of workout or if you really enjoy what you are doing, change up the exercises or the order in which you complete them. This helps to introduce variety.
- Create accountability — it’s hard to hit snooze when someone is expecting you. Find a workout buddy, or get a Coach to help keep you accountable and for overarching support. Track your progress in the gym to see how far you have come since starting!
There are so many options out there to improve your overall health and fitness. The first step is finding something that you actually ENJOY! If you like lifting weights, great. If you enjoy running, awesome. Maybe CrossFit is your jam? Or martial arts? Whatever. The three things that I outlined above still apply. Furthermore, if you want to find continuing success and motivation, be sure to work on adapting these things into your everyday life and routines.
