“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily”. ~Zig Ziglar
Motivation by nature doesn’t last. When you are not feeling motivated, know that it’s ok. It’s actually natural to have your motivation wane. Having a drop in motivation is not a sign failure! Sometimes a little nudge or reminder is all we need to get going again. Motivation is like a wood burning fire. Sometimes it’s hotter and bigger while other times it’s just enough to keep you warm. You need just enough motivation to keep the fire burning!! Here are some tips to help you stoke your motivation!
1. Stop Trying So Hard. Motivation is waning. Give yourself a day off and then get back on track. Maybe you need 2-3 days off, but no more than that. Giving yourself a break can free up that rigidness that cuts off the circulation to your much-needed “motivation vein”
2. Focus on How You Feel. When you are done with a great workout or a healthy meal, tell yourself how great you feel! When you are feeling low, remember all those times you felt amazing right after your workout or meal. Use those times as motivators when you need them. You will have a positive relationship with things that bring you closer to your goal.
3. Create a Business Plan with your goal. Any successful business or project needs guidance and a plan to get there. Once you have your goal, work backwards from your goal and create all the little steps needed. Follow this plan weekly and even daily. The more you read it the more ingrained the plan will be. To properly synchronize your plan, put it or write it on a fully functional online PDF solution where you can see it everyday. For more information, go to SodaPDF.
4. Plant a Half Way to Goal Reward. It’s hard to stay motivated, reward yourself for the progress you have made along the way. Reward yourself for each step: The first 10 lbs, each 5 lbs, the half way goal, getting into a size smaller, going out on a date etc.
5. Act As If You are Already At Your Goal. How would you behave and live your life if you were already at your goal. What would you do differently than you do right now? How would your life change? What would you wear, how would you talk to people, who would you call, how would you talk to yourelf, how would you treat your loved ones? Become you at your goal! What are you waiting for? You can live life today with your goal attitude. Live for the life you want, not the life you have.
6. Give Yourself Some Tough Love: Be realistic with yourself. If you stay on this track what will your life be like in 1, 5, 10 years from now? Is this who you really are or want to be?
7. Get Competitive. Join a challenge, or do one with your friends. Obesity journal says you will lose 20% more than if you did it on your own. Team captains tend to lose more than the other members of the group due to their high engagement in the team as a whole.
8. What Actually Motivates You? Find out what really motivates you and that will fuel your motivation. Is it to be healthy for your family and kids, to feel better, to reduce or get off your medication. Once you have a strong enough reason, your motivation will stay around much longer.
9. Stop the Daily Weigh Ins. It’s a motivation zapper and it will mess with your emotions! Try once a week or every two weeks to make sure you are on track and to monitor your progress.
10. Take a Pic a Day or Week! Take a picture of yourself daily right after a great workout or a healthy meal. You will have a photo diary of how great you feel, document the changes in your body, have great before and after photos. You can then flip through them when you are being hard on yourself and get yourself out of your motivation slump.
11. Let go of the criticizer inside you: It’s not motivating and it’s actually sabotaging your efforts. We dive into the fight or flight part of the brain and increase cortisol a stress hormone that helps us put on more belly fat and tends to lead us to sweet and fatty foods. Channel Sami: Stop when you are criticizing yourself, place your hand on your heart and take several deep breaths. Silence the negativity and find peace with yourself.
12. Create a “Healthy” Home: Surround yourself with “health” in your home. Clean your house. Keep your fridge full of healthy meals and snacks in clear containers so you make the fridge a place you want to go to. Dust off the workout equipment, do your laundry & keep a clean house. It makes it easier for you to stay focused and on track. It also keeps you in the state of staying committed to vs non-committed.
13. Use your Phone. It’s “smarter” than you think. Text your friends and family for some motivation or a workout partner. Find apps that you like to track progress, food, or water intake.
14. Make a List of What it’s Like to Be at Your Goal: Keep a list of how you will feel and how your life will be better when you get to your goal. Will you have more stamina, feel lighter emotionally and physically, improve your confidence etc. Keep this list somewhere handy and read it when you are feeling like going off track.
15. Recruit Gift Givers: Give some of your friends $20 (or any amount) to go shopping for a gift for you. Have them wrap it up and give it back to you. Each milestone along the way #lbs lost etc, open up one of the gifts to help keep you on track. You will look forward to each goal along the way and have a built in reward system and some great friends to encourage you along the way.
16. Set Goals That are Not “Scale” Related. Pick other ways to measure progress ex: being able to run a mile under a certain time, working out so many days in a row or in a week, sticking to your food plan for 5 days straight, packing your lunch every day for work, drinking all of your water for 7 days straight etc. You will feel better about hitting one of these goals and your motivation will stick around longer than if you don’t hit a certain number on the scale.
17. Confront Your Fears: It may not be lack of motivation holding you back. The next time you feel like stopping, quitting or taking a break, really ask yourself “why”? It may be your fears or beliefs that are holding you back. Are you afraid to work out in a group environment and show your body. Are you afraid if you are at the weight you want, men or women will start to notice you. Ask yourself; What is the real reason that I don’t stick to the plan, miss a workout, etc. Get real with yourself and wait until you get an answer.
18. Uninspired and Down on Yourself? Try shifting to self-appreciation and gratitude. Be grateful for how far you have come, how well you did sticking to the workouts or meals for the week etc. Remind yourself of how lucky you are to be have a body that works for you. Remind yourself how It allows you to do so many amazing things!