If you're trying to be more active and eat healthier, chances are that you've already discovered how easy it is to fall off the wagon. It can be hard to maintain motivation when it comes to making healthy changes in your life—especially when you're juggling work, family obligations, and other responsibilities. But if you focus on the long-term goals that motivate you rather than short-term results (like fitting into a certain pair of pants), then staying on track becomes much easier. Here's how:
Focus on your long-term goals, not your short-term results
You are on your fitness journey for a reason. You have a goal in mind, and it's important that you keep this goal in mind. You should not get caught up in the details or what others think of your progress; instead, focus on the end result, and don't forget why you started!
For example: If someone asks me how long I've been exercising five days per week for two hours each time (which is my current routine), I would answer with "since October 2015." That was when I started keeping track of my workouts by writing them down in an Excel spreadsheet because I wanted to see if there was any correlation between my moods and exercise habits over time. Since then I've added some additional goals like strength training twice per week while maintaining cardiovascular endurance through cardio exercises three times per week--and sometimes even four!
Create a plan of action and stick to it
The first thing you should do is create a plan of action. This can be as simple as writing down your goals, or it can be more elaborate. If you want to get really specific, there are many apps that will help you set up a plan and track your progress in achieving those goals.
Remember: don't be afraid to change your plan if it's not working out! You may find that staying motivated while trying new things takes time--but don't give up on yourself! You can do it!
Adopt a healthy lifestyle that you can maintain
- If you don't enjoy it, you won't be motivated to keep doing it.
- If you don't enjoy it, you won't stick to it.
You need to find a way to make fitness fun so that the activity becomes more enjoyable and less of a chore for your body and mind!
Surround yourself with people who support you
It can be difficult to stay motivated when you're working out alone. A partner or friend can help you stay on track and push yourself harder than you would if you were exercising by yourself. If there aren't many people in your life who support your fitness goals, consider finding an online community of like-minded individuals who will encourage each other to keep going. There are many ways to find a workout partner:
- Join a local gym or community center where classes are offered regularly (like yoga or Pilates). You'll have access to experienced instructors as well as other people who want to improve their health through exercise--and they'll keep tabs on whether or not their clients show up!
- Partner up with someone else who wants similar results from working out (for example, if one person is trying to lose weight while another aims for increased muscle mass). This way both parties know what they're getting into before making any commitments together; plus it gives each person someone else's perspective about how far along he/she has come since starting out--which helps keep them accountable throughout the journey ahead!
Set realistic and attainable goals
- Make sure your goals are achievable, and set them within a reasonable amount of time.
- Short-term goals might include: "I want to lose 15 pounds in 2 months." or "I want to be able to run 5 miles by the end of this month."
- Medium-term goals could be: "I'm going on vacation next month so I need to be able to do 10 pushups without stopping by then." or "In 6 months I want my abs visible when I'm wearing a tank top." Long-term goals are usually more general, but still important because they give you something specific that you can strive towards over an extended period of time (a year or more). Examples include:
- "In 5 years' time, I'd like my body fat percentage below 20%."
- "By 2020 I'd like my bench press max weight lifted up from 100kgs (220lbs) today, up towards 120kgs (264lbs)."
You can exercise regularly and eat healthfully
The most important step to enjoying your exercise and eating habits is to find something that you enjoy. If you don't enjoy what you're doing, it won't last for the long haul. It's very likely that this is why so many people give up on their fitness goals: they don't like exercising or they hate being healthy! The good news is that there are many ways to make both activities more enjoyable. Here are some examples:
- Find an activity that gets your heart racing and makes you sweat--like playing sports or dancing around in front of mirrors (like I do).
- Make a game out of any exercise by adding competition with friends, setting up mini-challenges throughout the week (such as "Who can run faster?"), having competitions within yourself ("I'll set my watch so it vibrates every minute until I've been walking briskly for 10 minutes"), etc...
- Compete with someone else who has similar goals as yours--whether it's losing weight or gaining muscle mass--and see who does better at meeting their goals first!
Conclusion
If you're going to make a lasting change in your life, then you need to find a way to keep yourself motivated. It's not easy and it won't happen overnight, but by following these tips and tricks we hope that they will help keep your motivation levels high as you embark on this journey of wellness!
