If I were to draw a map of my fitness journey, it would look more like the scribbles of a two-year-old than an actual path. I started my journey about two years ago, and for over a year I kept up a consistent routine. This “routine” consisted of deciding to start a new fitness journey, taking a few steps (or lunges) forward, making some progress, losing motivation, and deciding that binge watching Friends was a much better idea. A week later I would beat myself up for quitting and decide to start the whole thing over again. Last year I finally had enough of the cycle. I tightened my ponytail, laced up my sneakers, and sprinted towards my goals! Okay, it was more of a power walk, but that’s not the point.
This go-around I discovered six simple ways to stay motivated:
Keep an extra set of workout clothes in your car.
If you are anything like me once you get home, it is nearly impossible to leave again. By keeping a set of gym clothes in your car, you can go straight from school or work to the gym.
Write down your goals and put them where you can see them.
It has been proven that just the act of writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them and putting your goals somewhere you will see them every day will remind you exactly what it is you are working towards.
Put on your gym clothes before you decide to skip a workout.
It is hard to resist working out once you’ve put on your cute workout outfit and laced up your shoes. Doing this has kept me from skipping countless workouts over the past year.
Make four or five small goals rather than having one big goal.
When you are only looking at the big picture it is easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged. Setting small goals or milestones will give you little victories to celebrate along the way to your big goal and help to keep you motivated.
Take full body selfies once every few weeks.
It is very difficult to notice changes in your own body because you are looking at it all day every day. By taking selfies or progress pictures every few weeks, you will be able to compare them side by side and see just how much you have changed.
When you feel discouraged, remember how far you have come.
We all have the occasional bad body-image day, and I know how discouraging it can be to look in the mirror and not like what you see. Instead of letting that stop you, remember how far you have already come and how much further you can go.
When you start to lose motivation and start to think you should give up remember you have already come this far, and the best part is still to come.