Guest Blogger: Julie Germaine
No matter when in the year you are reading this article, have you stuck to your New Year Resolution to be healthier?
Every single one of us has moments where we feel like relaxing on the couch during downtime, rather than pursuing dreams or taking steps toward self-improvement. Even I sometimes feel unmotivated to exercise and feel my dedication to healthy eating sliding off the track. The trick is to know what to do when these moments strike so you can push forward and keep you’re your commitment to yourself to accomplish amazing things.
Long after the high of goal setting fades, the daily grit required to pursue and achieve those goals you set creeps in. You may wonder where your motivation has gone. The key is to tackle one day at a time.
Here are five proven ways to overcome lack of motivation and stop procrastinating so you can be successful this year.
- Spend 5 minutes a day on visualization techniques. This is somewhat like meditation, however rather than the clear mind that meditation strives for, the goal with visualization is to let your imagination run wild!
Find a quiet, comfortable place to relax. Think about your goals, and how you will feel once you achieve them. Take in the pride and enjoy your excitement as if it’s really happened. Focus on the tingles moving through your body. Before you end your session, turn the situation around to force yourself to accept the regret that comes with giving up. This is definitely NOT how you want to feel, and it’s a good way to give yourself a kick in the butt to get to work to avoid this outcome. - Get the momentum going in your favour. I truly believe that once you get the ball rolling, it’s so much easier to keep it going, so force yourself to just start… NOW! Even if you drag yourself through that first week of workouts, it’s better than doing nothing, and each day I guarantee it will get easier, and you will get better!
- Surround yourself with inspiring people. Good friends, reliable people in your life and athletic coaches (even virtual ones) are here to motivate you and help you remember all those reasons you started in the first place, so invest in your health and improve your chance of success by getting professional help from the get-go.
As I mentioned earlier, we ALL start to burn out at some point. Make sure you have a program to fall back on so you don’t fall off the wagon altogether. - Take baby steps. Your finish line may seem really far away and impossible to reach, but if you set markers along the way, you will have those milestones to celebrate. Boosting your confidence by reaching smaller goals will give you faith that you can really do this.
- Allow yourself REST – you’re not a machine! If you’re tired, take a break, and don’t feel guilty. This doesn’t mean you’ve failed, it simply means you were going hard and needed a breather for a moment. Keeping positive about this detour will go a long way toward helping you feel happy with yourself and preparing you to work hard again.
I wish you the very best year. Keep your goals in front of you, take care of your fitness, your sleep and your nutrition and use some of the tips listed in this article. Let me know which helped you the most.
Visit Julie Germaine’s website for more information on nutrition, exercise and overall health to make achieving your fitness goals possible! www.juliegermaine.com