We’ve all been there before haven’t we? You wake up one day, look in the mirror, and are not satisfied with what you see. You’ve let yourself go! You decide to do something about it and finally get that gym membership! Determined to get results and get yourself back in shape, you get online and google how to get in shape or download your first workout program that promises to change your life! Of course you start off great, your feeling confident in yourself and you can’t wait to see the results! But then a month or 2 into it something happens. Before you know it the results aren’t coming as fast. The scale isn’t moving as quickly as you thought. Your friends and family are enjoying their favorite sweets and drinks. You begin to feel like it isn’t worth it! Now you are missing days in the gym and slipping back into your old bad eating habits!
If this sounds like you, it’s okay..it happens to all of us! If someone tells you they are always motivated it isn’t true! But that’s not a bad thing, you can take action and be proactive about losing motivation! I’m going to give you 3 things you can do to stay motivated during your fitness journey!
1. Measure your progress from where you started, not where you want to be!
This is major to staying motivated. As a bodybuilder I occasionally measure my progress against my future self and it can make you feel as if you are always behind! When you measure from where you started you can appreciate how far you’ve come! If you started with only 10 pound dumbbells and now you can press 20 pounds, that’s a win! Maybe you could only walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes a session, now you’re doing 45 minutes! Check out the book “ The Gap & The Gain” by Dan Sullivan for more on this way of thinking! No matter how small the progress may be, small progress is better than no progress! It’s okay to celebrate those small wins you’ve accomplished over time too!
2. Continue to set new goals!
Continue setting new goals. Think about what you want to achieve next week, next month and next year. Tackle one goal at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Take a notebook with you to the gym and track your current progress. Then on another paper write where you want to be! SMART goals work well for this. Continuing to set new goals also keeps you from becoming stagnant! It will motivate you more having something to chase that will improve your overall fitness and health!
3. Surround yourself with positive people.
Positive friends and family enhance your positive self-talk.
Keep a good circle of people around you to lean on for support and set goals to push each other! Start a gym accountability group and check in with them daily to hold yourself accountable!
Find others with more experience in the gym and ask questions! They’ve been there, and will be able to give you guidance!
Here at 3D Fitness we believe in the 3D’s! Drive, Dedication, & Discipline! You must have all 3 in order to be successful! Work on the 3 tips above and you will be much better at keeping yourself motivated! Thanks for reading!