Most of us have - or would like to have - fitness goals for ourselves. Even if we aren't actively trying to accomplish them, they're often there in the back of our minds. But what do you do if you just aren't feeling motivated to be proactive about your goals? Here are a few things that have helped (and continue to help) me stay enthusiastic and motivated in my fitness journey.
1. Make a list of your goals!
It might sound simple, but taking the time to sit and actually write out your goals can be an instant motivator. Writing them out means thinking about them, and thinking about these goals (usually) means getting excited about achieving them! Writing your goals can also help you organize and define them for yourself...goals that were vague in your head can become concrete, achievable aims once you put them down on paper.
2. Tell your friends about your goals!
I've got one word for this: accountability. If no one else knows about your personal goals, it can be easy to dismiss them. "Well," you might say, "no one will know I didn't keep up my gym routine if I don't tell them about it to begin with." Don't let yourself do that! Once you've written your list of goals, share that list with your friends. Their support and encouragement could be what pushes you across the finish line!
3. Come up with a sustainable way to meet your goals!
Make a plan for how you will meet each of your goals, and make sure it is something you can sustain over a long period of time! Often, fitness goals involve important lifestyle changes, and these can't be accomplished if you try to force yourself to do something you can't possibly keep up with. If you want to go to the gym more often, don't try to go from zero trips to the gym each week to three gym trips every day. Overwhelming yourself won't help you accomplish your goals faster...slow and steady wins the race!
4. Find a buddy with similar goals.
Fitness goals can encompass a lot of different purposes. Maybe you want to go to the gym more. Maybe you want to work on your nutrition. Maybe you just want to work on taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Regardless, one of the best motivators is to find someone else who wants to do the same thing! The beauty of it all is that your goals don't have to exactly match your friend's...just having someone with a similar goal can make your own seem much more viable! Plus, it's always more fun when you don't feel alone.
5. Engage in healthy competition!
You know that buddy you found who has similar goals? Engage in healthy competition with them! Obviously it's best to do so in a constructive way - you should both feel encouraged to do your best when working on your goals together. For example, if you want to reach a two-minute plank, practice planking at the same time. You may find the determination to stay up the full two minutes, even if for no other reason than to stay up for as long as your partner!
6. Try new things!
One of the most common reasons people give up on their fitness goals is because they get bored or discouraged. Avoid this by thinking outside the box with your own goals. Do you want to eat more fruits and veggies? Make it your mission to try one fruit or veggie each week that you've never had before! If you want to be able to run a mile in eight minutes, switch up your running locations; it's easy to get tired of seeing the same scenery every day. Don't stagnate and give up because you were afraid to switch up your routine a bit. Trying new things will make accomplishing your goals fun - fitness doesn't have to be a chore!
7. Don't feel bad if you stumble!
No one has perfect willpower...we all have our less productive days. Instead of letting guilt eat away at you, learn from your mistakes and push forward! If you want to stop eating sweets but cave one day and eat a cookie, take the time to rationalize this small error - one cookie does not take away all the progress you've already made. It also does not invalidate your efforts. Don't give up and just keep eating sweets because you feel like your progress is somehow ruined; it isn't. Just keep going!
8. Record your progress!
It can be easy to miss the progress you're making if you only go by what you see in the mirror. When it comes to fitness, change can be simultaneously great and subtle. To combat self-doubt, make a chart or list to remind yourself of everything you've done. One of my personal fitness goals was to reach a two-minute plank, so I started planking every day and recording my plank times so I could see how I improved over time. This tracker can be anything from an elaborate spreadsheet to a simple note on your phone that you continue to update.
9. Set up a rewards system for the progress you make!
Sometimes, knowing that future you will be happy if you achieve your goals just isn't enough for the present you. If you're like me, having a reward to look forward to makes the whole ordeal worthwhile. For your personal rewards system, the rewards can come as frequently or infrequently as you would like, they can be anything you want, and they can apply to practically any goal you have.
Say your main goal is to improve your nutrition, and one part of that is cutting your soda intake. You could reward yourself on a daily basis (maybe you get to watch one episode of your favorite TV show if you make it the whole day without a soda?) or on a monthly basis (no soda for a month!? hey, treat yo self to that new pair of sneakers you've been wanting for a while...you earned it!).
10. Remember that it's always okay to alter your goals.
This goes back to sustainability...at the end of the day, if your goal seems too daunting, it is TOTALLY OKAY to change it. Maybe that two-minute plank goal is becoming discouraging because you're still at one minute and fifteen seconds - make a new goal to reach one minute and thirty seconds! Your fitness goals are meant to help you be your best self, and that means making sure you are as happy with them and with your rate of progress.
In the end, achieving your goals depends in large part on your drive to do so. Only you can truly push yourself to finish what you've started, so do whatever you can to stay motivated and passionate. Future you shouldn't be the only one benefiting from your fitness aspirations; present you can have fun, too!
