Staying Motivated on your Fitness Journey

By Eric leader-Owner/Personal Trainer

 

It is no secret that adherence to exercise and nutrition is and always will be a major factor why most don't achieve their goals. So how do we go about staying motivated and not losing our way? What are some good tricks to stay on our journey without getting sidetracked?

First things first it is essential to outline your goals. Many make the mistake of only outlining long-term goals which tend to be deflating since many times these goals seem unachievable.

Setting short-term, mid-range, and long-term goals is critical to success. Make sure that the goals that you specify are realistic and attainable. Also, make sure that they are tangible. Short-term goals really help with adherence. Setting a short-term goal and achieving it will keep you motivated along your journey. If you set goals that are only long-term then you will feel like you aren't accomplishing much and thus may lose interest.

Outlining your plan on paper both from a fitness and nutritional perspective is also important. Having something physical to look at and to follow helps you to visualize and stay on task. The use of a journal is recommended.

Sometimes joining a social network such as Facebook or Instagram can also help you stay on task. Join groups that are relevant to the goals that you are wishing to accomplish and form relationships with like-minded people within these communities. By posting progress pictures and receiving positive and constructive criticism this can I help you not only stay accountable but stay motivated.

Another great tip is to notify family, friends, and co-workers of your goals. By having people around you knowledgeable of what you are looking to accomplish they can help to encourage you and keep you accountable. For instance, if your coworker sees you eating pizza at lunch, he may mention to you that this is no good and will prevent you from achieving your goals.

Sometimes investing in the knowledge and experience of a professional trainer can be beneficial. Many find that having weekly sessions with a personal trainer can help to keep them tunnel-visioned and on the right path. Also, this helps by giving you new routines and making sure that you are using the correct form to be more efficient.

Utilizing YouTube's platform is also another way to help maintain motivation and enthusiasm. You might be asking yourself how YouTube can help me reach my fitness and health goals? The truth of the matter is there are going to come times in your journey where you lose your motivation and you lose your way. You are going to feel like giving up and that there's no point in going on a continuing. Usually what I recommend is watching a motivational video on YouTube during these moments of time. There are many great videos on YouTube that are extremely motivational and viewing such videos can really help put you right back on the right path.

Finally, be patient. Reaching goals is going to take persistence, consistency, and time. Rome was not built in a day and nor will your body. Make sure to stay vigilant and to embrace little victories and not to get discouraged for little defeats. Your journey to getting fit and accomplishing your goals is going to have many setbacks and many victories. Never get too excited and never get too dismayed but no matter what you do keep on pushing.

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