The issue is frequently a lack of desire to change or even the willingness to take the initial step. Finding a means to keep motivated when our initial enthusiasm wears off or we face setbacks is the most difficult part. This is one of the reasons why so many of us fail to keep our New Year's resolutions!
I'm no motivation expert, and there have been times when I've wanted to give up, change my mind, or simply get back into bed. At the same time, I'm (a little) older and hopefully wiser, and I've come to the conclusion that one thing must be true: the most significant motivational factor is progress itself, whether it's in weight reduction, fitness, or overall health.
So, how can you get started without waiting for the perfect time or the perfect plan? That's an excellent question!
The One and Only Way to Become & Remain Motivated
There's just one way to get started in my opinion: do something, even if it's small. This is the only and best approach to boost your energy and motivation levels. When we perceive progress, our excitement grows and spreads.
It's worth repeating:
Motivation is bred by action, not the other way around.
You've selected a worthwhile cause if you're wanting to make some lifestyle adjustments to improve your health and want to get (and stay) inspired! Whatever habit you choose to adopt, I've found that following these seven stages will help you stay motivated:
1. Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it.
This may appear to be plain sense, but it is a step that many of us overlook. This is unsurprising, especially in the world of moms, where finding time to think without interruption is so difficult!
Hide in the bathroom, closet, shower, car, or better yet, plan some time off to find out why you're making changes in your life. Visualize what you want to achieve and play it out in your head.
Note "How do you want to look in the end?" I didn't say. Take, for example, weight loss: aesthetic goals are rarely enough to keep someone motivated. You'll eventually decide that you despise dieting more than you despise being big and give in to the cheesecake, spaghetti, soda, or whatever your weakness is.
Instead, come up with a health-related aim, which may or may not involve aesthetic considerations, and write it down. Concentrate on the long-term health benefits and create a detailed plan to get there.
2. Make a plan to achieve your goal.
Jumping into a new diet, fitness plan, and natural living lifestyle all at once almost never works. Make a list of smaller objectives and write them down. Once you've accomplished one goal, move on to the next.
To be achieved, goals must be measurable and clear. You'll need a specific and measurable action plan to get there once you've determined the clear goal.
Start meal planning if you want to improve your diet for health reasons.
Measure yourself and snap before and after photos if you're aiming to improve your health and weight.
If you want to improve your insulin sensitivity, keep an eye on your blood sugar.
It will be easier to track your progress and stick to your objective if it is more defined and measurable. Start a health notebook or a habit monitoring app if you need to cut down on carbs or eat more vegetables. When it comes to developing new habits, tracking raises your chances of success dramatically.
Tip: Meal planning is a good idea no matter what your aim is. There are a plethora of fantastic tools available to assist you (this one is my favorite). Meal planning will help you stay to your goal by saving you time, money, and mental energy in the long run.
Red Also: Early awakening: a type of insomnia that causes you to wake up at dawn
3. Establish checkpoints
This is an idea that Martin at LeanGains suggests and I think it is a great one. (He also recommends intermittent fasting, which is another great idea!)
Basically, instead of having weekly weigh-ins or daily tracking, try periodic “checkpoints” every few weeks or even months instead. This encourages a sense of internal competitiveness without getting focused on small details. It is also gives you a long enough time to see measurable results (rather than getting discouraged that you aren’t running triathlons or fitting into size 4 jeans after your first week of training).
For instance, if you are trying to lose weight and improve physique or strength, your checkpoint could be weighing yourself and testing your ability in a few basic exercises (pushups, sprints, etc.).
If working on improving insulin sensitivity, it could be your fasting blood glucose levels.
If working on allergies or eczema, it could be your frequency of symptoms for each one.
Tip: Set multiple checkpoints in increments of 8 weeks on your calendar or phone (otherwise, you’ll forget!). This is long enough for a new habit to actually sink in, not to mention stick. Compare each checkpoint to the last and try to beat it.
4. Keep Learning
To keep your motivation high and focused on a goal, it is often helpful to remember why you formed the goal in the first place. Taking in new information — be it health, nutrition, or fitness related — feeds the desire and keeps the flame burning!
5. Buddy Up for Accountability
If possible, have your spouse or a friend make these changes with you. Not only will you have the benefit of some company along the way, but this has been shown to improve long-term compliance to a plan.
There are plenty of apps that make accountability even easier. My favorite (because I’m oh so super competitive) is an app called Spar.
Tip: Make sure you and your partner are on the same page on what the goal is and how to get there so you don’t derail each other by debating the small details along the way!
6. Give Yourself Rewards
To help, consider giving yourself non-food related rewards when you accomplish either your overall goal or one of your action steps. Looking forward to a new pair of pants in a smaller size, an evening out with your spouse, or a relaxing day of some kind might help you focus on the long-term benefits of your goal rather than the short-term struggle.
Some other ideas for motivating (but healthy) rewards are:
Join a local botanical garden, museum, or park (for all the benefits of nature)
Invest in a skin-brushing set for dry brushing
Plan a day trip somewhere you wouldn’t normally consider going
Upgrade your home gym with some new equipment
Treat yourself to some pampering natural beauty products you normally wouldn’t splurge on
Go for the health gold – set a big goal and save up for your own sauna or a red light therapy device
Or, the real prize… a day off! (recruit your spouse, a family member, or a babysitter… whatever it takes!)
Tip: Make a list of some new ways to reward yourself and try one of them. Whether it’s taking a class to learn a new skill (I recommend scuba!) or finally splurging for that Instant Pot and learning the ropes (life-changer!), chances are once you push past your comfort zone, you’ll be glad.
7. Repeat Until a Habit
They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, and I’d say it takes less than that if you have a system and a routine in place. As with most aspects of life, healthy living is much easier if it is part of a normal and regular routine. Sometimes all it takes is a challenge to get you started.
This will also help remove the mindset of “dieting” which implies an end point once a goal is reached and encourage a mindset of a permanent and healthy lifestyle change. Sugar will not be healthy now or when you weigh your goal weight… neither will grains, or vegetable oils, or commercial deodorant… you get the idea.
Tip: Make goals visual to keep them in the forefront of your mind. Write up your why, your goals, your baby steps, and post it everywhere to increase your chances of staying motivated and sticking to a new habit.
Take Action Today With a Mini Wellness Challenge!
Before making up a grand master plan, try a mini challenge or experiment! Pick one of these areas, go to the top of this post, and plan out your 7 steps! I highly suggest writing out your plan and posting it some place visible. Download my free Mini-Challenge Plan printable here!
Where to start? Here’s a list of possible health areas to consider:
Eat Real Food – Start consuming a nutrient-dense diet if you aren’t already and avoid processed foods.
Drink and Use Clean Water – Avoid chemicals in drinking water with a quality water filter and neutralize chemicals in bath or shower water.
Breathe Clean Air – Purify air just by shopping for a few house plants or getting outdoors more.
Get More Exercise – Not exercising? Start with just 10 minutes.
Reduce Stress – Set some goals to reduce stress through meditation/prayer, diet, exercise, or my favorite, journaling.
Avoid Toxins – Decide which home, cleaning, or beauty products you could trade for natural versions.
Sleep Better – If you’re not sure where to start, start here! Good sleep is the foundation and in many ways more important than diet or exercise!
Remember, there’s no wrong place to start… action in one area more often than not will lead to motivation in another!
Bottom Line: Baby Steps Make It Happen!
When the lists are long and the tasks are many it’s easy to lose motivation (especially when the toddler is having a meltdown at your feet), but inertia is the worst part. Take one step in the right direction (today) and put these tips to the test to stay motivated, focused, and hopefully a little healthier!
source: wellnessmama.com
No comments:
Post a Comment