Sticking to your health goals is so easy! Right? Not so fast. In the beginning, it is. In the early stages of working on a goal, motivation runs high. However, as time goes by and you start to lose that initial motivation you had, and it becomes harder to keep working on those goals. Remember, motivation is not an ever-lasting feeling, it will diminish with time so it is important to have some tools in place to keep yourself on track.
Below are the 6 tips I encourage all my clients to utilize to keep them on track for their success.
1. Write out your goals
By writing your goals out, it will help in a few different ways. First, it will help you get a clearer picture of what you really want. This was found to be true from a study out of Dominican University which also proved a person was 42% more likely to achieve their goal. Another reason writing your goals helps is it gives you constant reminders of them by actually seeing them. Thus, is the reason I recommend my clients to put them in a place they will see them on a regular basis. If you are the crafty type, this is the perfect time to create a vision board for yourself. The vision board is another great tool to help you visually see your goals, have some inspirations and gain some motivation all the while using your creative side.
2. Make a plan
Once you have your goals written down, take them a step further and break down each goal into steps, or smaller goals. By breaking your goals down, especially big goals, it can make them fell less overwhelming to achieve. In addition, majority of all goals are not a one step and done deal, they usually include several items which need to be worked on as well as time to complete them. You could say, you need to build a solid foundation which is the bottom of a pyramid in order to reach your goal which is the peak. Remember, as you go along, celebrate those small steps, not just the final goal. Any progress needs to be recognized and celebrated.
3. Be flexible
Just as it is important to create a plan to achieve your goals, it is also important to be flexible with those plans when appropriate. Every few months, review your goals and your plans to make sure they still fit into your life. One thing in life which is consistent, is change and if you need to adjust your goals or plans to fit your life, then do it, nothing wrong with that. As long as you are still making forward progress to a healthier life, then you are just doing fine!
4. Focus on the positive
It is so easy for people to focus on the negative, which in my experience in working with others, this not only increases frustration, it also makes it a great deal harder to achieve goals. Make sure you are keeping track of the positive changes or aspects of your life on a daily basis. By thinking more positive, it can increase your resiliency and increase your chances of success. So, if you have not already done so, start a “positive journal”, where each day, you write 1-3 positive statements. Do this for at least, 21 days and see where it takes you!
5. Remember your why
As you are writing down your goals, make sure you are noting the reason for those goals. Knowing your “why” behind a goal is another great tool to increase chances of success. The reason, when motivation disappears on you and you are struggling to do what you need to in order to achieve your goal, remembering your “why” will help you push through the negative times and keep you on track. I guess you could say, the “why” becomes the new motivation when the feelings of the initial motivation wanes.
6. Create accountability
There are times, when it is important to keep your goals to yourself, not everybody needs to know what is going on with you all the time. However, there are times when it is actually good to let others in on your goal due to the fact, this will create some accountability which in turns, increases your support system. Utilizing your friends for accountability can be a great support system, however, make sure they are also not your “accomplices in crimes”. You know the ones I’m talking about! Other sources of accountability can be groups on Facebook which covers areas that involve your goal or you can hire a coach or trainer.
I hoped you found this information to be useful, if so, please follow me on Facebook and Instagram at @bodyandmindstrong. You can also find me on my new podcast at Body and Mind Strong which can be found on iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher.
If you have any questions about this, please email me, (I will NOT use your email for any type of mailer list or spam!!) Or if you are ready to start getting healthier or drop some body fat and need some guidance, please contact me as I would love to help you. Everyone gets a free discovery session to see if we will be a good fit for each other.
Stay Healthy. Stay Happy. Stay Strong.
And do at least one thing today that will get you
one step closer to one of your goals!