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When starting on a health and fitness journey, creating a fitness and nutrition plan is usually first on the list, with many of us forgetting to create a plan to help keep us motivated. At some point, you will run into different situations that could send you off track if you do not have a motivation plan in place – think birthdays, social gatherings, holidays, temptations, negativity and plateaus.
On day one of this post series I asked you to fill out a form on motivation to help you pinpoint exactly what your motivators are – make sure to have that sheet handy. In this post I am going to help you identify your short-term and long term goals and develop a plan of action for tricky situations that could potentially lead you off track.
1. Short term motivation
These are the things that you do on a daily or weekly basis that keep you motivated. Think about what is motivating you right now and commit to it. For example, every day I take time to look at fitness posts on Tumblr, Pinterest or my Facebook Page. Doing this daily helps to inspire me and remind me why I am on this journey.
- Join an online health and fitness forum
- Join a weight loss challenge at your local gym
- Create a motivation board
- Exercise with a buddy
- Daily journal with information on your daily exercise, energy levels and food intake
2: Long-term motivation
Think about what you will do on a monthly and yearly basis to maintain your motivation. Do you have a specific goal in mind that you want to accomplish in 6 months time? Or maybe you would like to subscribe to a monthly fitness magazine to keep you on track. What is going to motivate you monthly or yearly?
- Train for a Marathon, Triathalon, 5K or other race
- Compete in a Fitness competition
- Buy tickets to a fitness expo
3. Plan for Situations
At some point along the way, you will be faced with difficult situations such as negativity, temptation and plateaus. Having a plan of attack is crucial to keep you on track. For example:
- When: I crave [insert food here] I Will: Drink a large glass of water and go for a nice long walk.
- When: I am tempted by unhealthy food at the Christmas party I Will: Tell myself ‘I don’t eat that food’, and look for the healthier options instead.
- When: I hit a plateau I Will: Remind myself that they are normal and will remember that change is necessary in order to break through the plateau.
Now that you have had some time to think about your short-term and long-term motivators, it is time to write it down and devote yourself to it. Remember to keep your plan somewhere you will see it on a regular basis.
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