If you have ever had a difficult time keeping yourself motivated to stick to your goals, you are not alone. Millions of people all over the world keep setting new goals for themselves and then end up giving up. Things like being more active, playing more sports, drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking… After only two weeks, we have already forgotten 90% of our commitments. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, we have compiled the most effective (and important) tips for you to help you stay motivated and avoid giving up on bad times.
Identify reasonable goals
First, it is important to have a reasonable goal. “Being fit” “Playing more sports” or “eating healthy” is too vague. You can’t tell when and if you’ve reached your goal, not knowing if you’re on track to achieve it. The important thing is to define your goal in figures. This could be expressed in the form of a weight to be expected, a certain waist or arm to have, a workout or a run to be completed in a certain time, a certain number of stars in an exercise to get, or a number of vegetables to add to each meal. According to some motivational speakers, it is important to link the objective to a specific date.
Visualize your goal
Always keep your goals in mind. Imagine exactly how you will be and how you will feel when you reach your goal. Will you be proud? Happy? Relieved? Let your imagination run wild. “Emotions, and especially positive ones, are much stronger motivators than rational ones” says John Rogan of MotivationalSpeakerz.com. Keep your goal in sight, literally – write or draw a picture and put it in a place where you will see it every day, like your bathroom mirror, wallpaper, or on your desk at work.
Set a realistic goal
Naturally, you should aim high – but not too high! When faced with motivational barriers , people often want to change everything right away, which leads to doing too many things at once. The struggle and frustration generated to achieve this goal often lead to the complete abandonment of the project. Start from where you are, not where you want to be, and set a realistic achievement date to reach your goal. If you find yourself losing the motivation, try reading some motivational quotes.
Establish steps towards your goal
Examine exactly what you need to achieve your goals and the steps needed to get there. Write down these steps, so that you can switch from one to the other! Concentrate constantly on achieving the next step. Reaching a stage gives a feeling of success and pushes you towards the next goal. The steps confirm that you are on the right track and show that your overall goal is always more achievable even in times of relaxation.
Ask a friend to join you
According to MotivationPing.com, it’s important that you have some form of accountability. Pursue your goals with a like-minded person, perhaps a friend, family member, or colleague. By scheduling a training appointment with someone else, you are much more likely to go, even if it is only to avoid disappointing the other. It also makes a difference to your diet when you feel that someone else is “watching” what you eat – and of course you are helping that other person in the same way.
Training groups are also helpful in ensuring that you don’t continually postpone your training overnight. Training with other athletes inspires you to keep working and allows you to compare your strengths and weaknesses, get advice and share your own experiences. Encouraging others and feeling part of a whole will also increase your motivation !
What can I do with an acute lack of motivation
Unfortunately, we all experience moments of weakness. A multitude of reasons can cause this demotivation, but it is precisely in these moments that you will have to fight against the urge to give up. Otherwise, these feelings are likely to return more than once.
Keep your goals in mind
Keep the image of your lens in mind and look at the image or text you marked it on. Project yourself away from the present and imagine how you will feel. How would you like to be or how would you like to feel?
Body over spirit
The mental and the physical are closely interdependent. By simply adopting a more upright posture, you can improve your mood and increase your motivation. A few steps are enough to stimulate blood circulation and redistribute certain neurotransmitters to immediately feel more motivated. Adopt an active and motivated attitude with your body and your spirit will follow.
Better sooner than too late
The longer it takes us to do something, the more difficult it becomes to start doing it. This even goes for short-term things. So do your training right away while the inner voice trying to push you to stop is still relatively quiet! Set aside something small, but meaningful enough as a reward when you finish your training. Think of the feeling of satisfaction and the good conscience that you will have. The biggest problem, as always, is getting started! Have you ever thought that you were not motivated enough during training?
Nothing is ever lost
Even if you’ve neglected your exercise routine or diet for a while, give up on the idea that nothing makes a difference anymore. Even one training session completed is better than nothing at all. Every day that you eat healthy is better than a day that you don’t. You can always add another training session, or another day of healthy eating – even after a break. Instead, focus on the reason that led you to this situation and what you could do differently in the future. Cheating on a meal or missing a workout is not insurmountable, unless your small deviations gradually turn into a routine. Once this happens, a vicious circle quickly takes place.
After all, there is never a perfect time. It is certainly fine to focus on the first day, first week or month of the year – but quite honestly, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life, so make the most of it! So don’t wait any longer and get to work!