Find your motivation, create habits, and change your life!
Posted: January 9, 2020 | By: Rocio Ramos
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started” – Mark Twain
Have you ever wondered how it is that some people find the motivation to work out every day? Why is it that some people find it easy to order a salad for lunch while others quickly fall off their diet? Do Olympic athletes, movie stars, and entrepreneurs have some extra gene that makes them successful? The answer is no. They simply have motivation. They are able to do what it takes to reach their goals; but how?
“At some point, the pain of not doing it becomes greater than the pain of doing it.”- James Clear
I recently read an article by James Clear, “Motivation: The Scientific Guide on How to Get and Stay Motivated,” that really helped me understand how motivation comes about. It’s usually pretty easy to get started right? But then what happens a week or maybe a month down the road? Often times you lose that motivation to continue working out everyday or waking up early to work on your goals. So how do you stay motivated once you’ve started a new goal or task? According to Clear, it all begins by creating a habit or what he calls a “pre-game routine.”
Your pre-game routine is something so simple, that you do it without any effort. It’s the first step in creating a habit that will get you to your end goal. I then thought about my morning routines. How is it that I’m able to get to the gym every morning? For me, my pre-game routine is drinking my glass of water as soon as my alarm goes off. I know that after I’ve had my glass of water, I will be able to wake up, get moving, and make it to the gym. It’s something that takes no effort on my part, but makes all the difference in whether I get up or not. Once you’re able to find a way to create a routine and find your pre-game routine, reaching your goals will become effortless.
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn
For many of you, your current goal is to lose weight; the most difficult part about this is changing your diet. It’s hard not to take the easy road and go back to old habits that got you unhealthy in the first place. Motivation is key to staying on track. Try to find a pre-game routine that will help you stick to your goals. Maybe it’s writing your goal weight out and looking at it every day. Maybe it’s checking your Fitbit every morning. Find your one thing that will get you into a habit and create some motivation for you every day. Ask yourself ‘why’ you joined the Youngevity Better Health Challenge. Was it to feel better? Have more energy for your family? Remember, the more you continue to eat healthy and workout, the easier it will become.
Need extra motivation? Consider these additional tips from a list we found on Shape.com:
- Ask yourself – if I stop now, what will my health be like in 6 months? Will I be happy with how I look or feel?
- Focus on feelings. Are you feeling more energy? Happier? Less cravings? These are all signs you’re doing the right things for your body.
- Ask a friend to join your journey with you. Studies show that when we have a buddy to call, we have greater results.
- Reward yourself without food. Go for a walk. See a movie. Buy the song you want to hear. Learning new, non–food ways to reward yourself can help you stay on track.
- Focus on small results. It takes time to change a habit, a lifestyle, and to lose weight. Celebrate small victories, and build your confidence. Keeping track of these small results can lead to big payoffs.
- Put your motivation where you can see it. Is it a new dress? A trip? Put a picture of what motivates you on your mirror and look at it every day.
- Think about the benefits, not the difficulties.
- Lift the weight you’ve lost. Picking up a basketball (about the size of 6 pounds of fat), a stick of butter (1/4 pound) and walking around the house can make these numbers more real.
- Get a massage or a pedicure. Studies show there is a healing feeling that comes from being touched and nurtured.
- Remember happiness is not the number on the scale. It’s about how you feel. Do you feel more energy? Have better sleep? Better mood? Focusing on the positive can help you stay on track.
You can find the entire list here: “23 Best Weight Loss Motivation Tips.”
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