It’s that time of year again-the best of intentions, the re-commitment, the high hopes and motivation. Already my classes at the gym are more crowded and my inbox is full of prospective clients who are ready to start exercising!
AWESOME! Right?
Well, maybe not so awesome. Because for everyone 5 of those new people in the gym, 4 of them aren’t there by March. And maybe some of those people are feeling like failures, like they’re lazy or deficient or simply too far gone to get back in shape
SO-how can we keep the motivation momentum going?
I would argue that the first step is honing that goal. Examine it from all angles: is it a realistic and achievable goal? Let’s say you’re hoping to lose some weight. Once you decide that it is, in fact, realistic and achievable, ask yourself WHY you want to lose weight. Do you simply want to see a number on your scale? Are you hoping to fit into clothes that haven’t fit in years? Do you really want to be more comfortable in your body and feel more energetic, no matter what the scale says? Are you tired of feeling like the food you’re eating isn’t really serving you or the planet and you’re ready for a change? The end goal may actually be eating an additional serving of veggies each day or making your own lunches twice a week. Dig a little deeper to really find what you need.
The second step is outlining the PROCESS for how you’re going to achieve that goal. If you want to be stronger, that probably means increasing the amount of strength training you do each week. Maybe that’s moving from zero to one time in the gym, maybe that’s increasing your repetitions or weight if you’re already regularly exercising. But before you decide “I’m going to work out 5 days a week!” please take a quick look in your calendar. What are your other priorities? When and where will you be exercising? Can you realistically get to the gym in your lunch hour or after the kids are asleep? Be honest with yourself and talk it over with anyone else who you may need to help you make this happen. Maybe that’s your partner, or an accountability buddy-support ALWAYS helps!
Finally, set some check points along the way for you to reassess how things are going and set new goals if necessary. Don’t let yourself focus on what you didn’t accomplish, use any stumbles as new information and a learning experience.
Don’t beat yourself up. Negative self talk doesn’t serve anyone. Be your own best cheerleader. Self love goes a long way.