What's keeping you from living your best, nutritious, and fittest life? Maybe you're thinking that it's a little too cold to visit the gym in winter, or you'll get back to clean eating as soon as the holidays pass. Somehow, there are always too many hurdles involved with getting our health and fitness goals back on track.
But there is a solution! Stop piling on excuses and follow these easy steps to keeping you motivated and reaching your goals – come rain or shine, birthday bash, or annual festivity.
We start off strong, promising ourselves we'll visit the gym three times a week, cut out carbs and sugar immediately, and drink tons more water. The result? Too much, too soon. This massive change in lifestyle becomes too much work and, instead, we revert back to our old ways after only a couple of days.
Don't set yourself up for failure. Just get started! Setting goals gives you something to work towards and provides you with a way to measure how well you are doing. When it comes to succeeding at your exercise routine, setting goals and monitoring your progress will help you stay on track and get you where you want to go.
If your goal is to run a marathon, start by walking around the block and increasing the distance and speed as you start feeling more comfortable with the new routine. If you want to tone your arms, start by lifting 1kg weights.
Start small and make these goals part of your lifestyle. It's not just another fad.
Once you've set your goals and started to make positive changes, do what you can to achieve them – even if you don't feel like it. Remember your reasons for wanting to go on this journey and prepare yourself for negative feelings that could deter you from following through.
Granted, refusing a delicious piece of chocolate cake will be an immense challenge, but overcoming it with self-control will give you extra strength to keep pushing toward your goals.
The best time to start working towards your goals is not tomorrow, Monday, or a month before summer starts – it's now! Centre your thoughts, identify your reasons to change, and take baby steps to reach the desired outcome. Stay optimistic, dedicated, and pushing for success – one small step at a time.
