New Year, New Me: 5 secret tips to staying motivated
It takes approximately 21 days to form a new habit. In theory, as we reach the end of January, your sparkly new fitness resolution for 2021 should now be a solid part of your everyday routine. In practice, however, the truth is most likely very different. Motivating yourself to exercise can feel like a constant battle. Here, we reveal 5 secret tips on ways to build mental strength and momentum to successfully discover gym motivation…
1- FIND YOUR WHY
We all know how important goals are. But when you set a goal without knowing why, you set yourself up for failure.
To achieve your goals, it’s crucial you know what is driving you. What will it mean to get the six-pack abs? How will it make you feel to drop a dress size? What will you gain from the experience?
Go deep. There are no right or wrong answers. Only you can answer why.
Just be sure to go beyond the superficial. If the goal is big enough, you need a strong reason to keep you motivated when things get tough. And they always do.
2- VISUALISE SUCCESS
Some of the most successful people use visualisation. The best part about it? It’s available to you and it’s simple to learn.
All you need to do is imagine yourself achieving your goal. This tip goes hand-in-hand with knowing your “why”. Picture how it will feel when you accomplish the goal. What does it look like? Get specific and fill in your mental image with details. Use all your senses. Make it real!
The key is to visualise consistently.
Suggestion: just before bed and first thing in the morning, spend a few minutes visualising your great achievement in detail.
3- GET AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
Let’s say you have had a long day and you have a workout planned but you decide to skip it.
You are too tired. I can’t find my gym bag. Your mind is full of excuses why you should take the night off.
Will anyone know that you skipped a workout?
Now picture your friend or coach waiting for you at the gym. You are much more likely to go now, right?
Accountability is essential.
4- TAKE SMALL STEPS DAILY
We all want results quickly. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s human nature. What causes you to lose motivation is a lack of progress.
If you can see the results of your efforts, you will stay excited about the process.
It’s a great idea to set a big goal for yourself. A goal that makes you nervous and inspired. But you also need to focus on the small steps you take every day. What small action can you take each day towards your goal? Write it down and make sure you are being consistent.
It’s easy to get frustrated when your progress slows down or stops altogether. The solution is to focus on what you have control over. You control your daily actions. Let that propel you forward.
5- KEEP A TRAINING JOURNAL
One of the best kept training secrets: keep a training journal.
There are two main reasons a simple training log can help you stay motivated:
- You see progress. Over time you will forget where you started. We overlook how far we have come. It’s important to look back occasionally and be proud of how much we have achieved.
- What gets measured, will improve. You can write in a training journal by hand or type it up on your computer or phone. What’s important is you see the numbers. They are real. Now you know where you started, how far you’ve come, and where you want to go next.
Beating your previous numbers is a powerful way to increase your motivation.
NO ONE IS MOTIVATED ALL THE TIME.
What’s important is that you stick to daily healthy habits. Next thing you know, a year has passed and you look back amazed at your progress.
Let this be the year that you become an inspiration to others. So all your friends will be asking you what is the “secret” to staying motivated.