what’s moving you forward?
Too many times we find ourselves in a position where we have to CHOOSE between our health goals, and something else. I wish I could say it was easy to choose our health, but the urgencies of life somehow always manage to overpower our own healthful good intentions! We know we want that healthy lifestyle, some of us even need it, so HOW do we stay motivated and meet our health goals when there are SO many distractions, and time seems to be an ever-elusive mistress? Below I’ve put together 5 quick “no brainer” ways to help you find your motivation and keep it going!
5 motivation movers!
Find YOUR carrot?
Motivation often comes from “pleasure”! This means that if something feels good, then we’re naturally more motivated to do it in the first place. If eating healthy or working out doesn’t bring you pleasure on their own, then you need to focus on the things that will. For example, maybe what brings you pleasure is looking good in a bikini or being able to bend over and tie your shoes without being in pain! In health coaching we call this a motivational carrot! I suggest grabbing a piece of paper and listing at least 5-10 things that will bring you pleasure from meeting your health goals! When you’re done put them somewhere you will see them every day as reminder to keep moving forward!
Create a “reward system“
Speaking of PLEASURE!! A “non-food” reward system is a GREAT way to keep the pleasure network going and “nourish’ your state of mind while making big changes! In my practice I teach clients to build a “nourishment menu“, with 5-10 activities that they enjoy! For some this might be a hot bath or massage, for others it could be taking time to paint or listen to music while watching the birds out the window. Adding in a couple small things like this a week can help fulfill that need for “pleasure”, which can make a HUGE difference in your motivation levels!
Plan ahead!
If we create a regular “plan” or “space” for the change we’re looking to make, it makes following through much easier to do! In my coaching practice I call this stacking the deck in our favor, or “setting ourselves up for success”! If you have a plan already laid out, then there’s no stress or guessing on what you should be doing. This is one reason I’m a HUGE fan of doing weekly meal planning! If you have everything bought and ready to go for the next week, then it’s a lot harder to “self-sabotage” and fall off track! You can also do this with workouts and movement you’d like to be adding in for the week!
Find your “support system“
Like pleasure, bonds with those closest to us have an enormous impact on our motivation, as well as the choices we make from day to day! This means that it’s not only important to share your health goals, but to ask for help and support from loved ones as well along the way! I’ve found this to be a KEY factor in both long-term, and short-term success with health goals. As humans, we’re socially motivated, and when we feel “cut off” or “isolated” from the people around us, this can cause a HUGE conflict of interest. Find your support system early on, and don’t be afraid to confide in them when you’re a little stressed or feeling overwhelmed!
TAKE your wins!
This is one that’s often overlooked but very important for long term success! We all want instant gratifications, but the journey to health is one best bit off in smaller chunks! What I mean by this is, change is hard, and trying to do too much at once can kill your motivation and sabotage health goals before you even get started. When we take small manageable chunks, it makes success easier and all those small wins start to stack up in our favor! This is a HUGE motivational factor and can really help us build momentum on our journey to a healthful lifestyle! Try writing out all of your successes and wins for the week (no matter how small) in a journal and then read them back to yourself! This helps to shift your mindset and solidifies to your “critter brain” that you CAN do this!