Motivation

mo·ti·va·tion

ˌmōtəˈvāSHən/

noun

1.

the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

"escape can be a strong motivation for travel"

synonyms:

motive, motivating force, incentive, stimulus, stimulation, inspiration,inducement, incitement, spur, reason; More

We've made it through the new year, three full weeks into 2014, and of course the gym is starting to clear out again. I hate when I see those people who come piling in on Jan 1 (and Jan 2 for those who drank too heavy to make it on 1-1). Don't get me wrong, I love fitness, and I'd love to inspire or instill a passion for fitness in every person, but I hate knowing that most of those who are coming into the gym to achieve their resolutions, will soon be back to their bad habits and not making it into the gym. 

Lets break that trend for those who are just getting back to their workouts, or dropping out before you even reach Feb 1. Doing something for 30 days makes it a habit, and easier for you to stick with. So lets keep pushing through. Here are a few tips to keep those newbies and those long timers motivated to stick with it. (Note that some of these coincide with your resolution setting)

1) Write down your goals:  Putting your goals in writing will help you to stay honest with yourself. Having the written reminder of why you are hitting that gym everyday or skipping that doughnut will make it easier to stay focused. 2) Be Positive:  Don't be too hard on yourself. If you miss a workout (for a legitimate reason i.e. children, sickness, etc), or you don't accomplish your goal in the time set, its not the end all be all of your existence. You aren't perfect, use your negatives as positives and keep chugging along. You are amazing, and releasing that sometimes takes failures. "Its not about how hard you can hit, but about how hard you can be hit and get back up" 3) Reward yourself:  When you meet your goals reward yourself with something positive and healthy. Don't reward yourself with a box of kripsy kremes or gummi bears, but rather do something for you. Take yourself to a movie, or go shopping. Find something you enjoy and do it. 4) evaluate, reevaluate, and then do it again:  Setting goals means you are aiming for something, probably something you haven't achieved before, or haven't achieved in a while. Its meant to be challenging and you may not make it on the first attempt. When you hit a bump in the road, don't let it make you swerve off track. You should plan out your weeks, months and year. Set some time at the beginning of the week to see where you are currently and how far along you are on your progress. Be flexible but stern. Maybe your 6 month plan is more like a 12 month plan, that's fine, just redirect yourself and make the changes to make the goals happen.

5) Rest

Many people forget to rest, and then burn out. Biggest thing to remember is that muscles aren't built in the gym or during the workout,t rather they build during periods of rest. Make sure that you are getting the time you need for you. This sometimes takes saying no, or becoming better at time management. It may sound like a lot of fun to stay out late with your friends, but think about how that will make you feel during your workout or the next day at work. You cant do it all, but making your goals a priority requires you making rest happen.