Motivation

At Desert Cross Lutheran Church, where I am serving my internship, we just began a twelve week circuit training program. Each Saturday, we gather for prayer, inspiration, exercise, and fellowship. One of the participants asked, Do you have any tips for staying motivated?

It is January and 'tis the season for New Year's resolutions! Everyone wants to know what is the one thing that will help them reach their goals and push through when most people seem to fall off the bandwagon by March. I think there are three keys to staying motivated:

1. Set Realistic Goals

There is not one single more sure way to fail than to set yourself up for failure so set a goal that is achievable, yet challenging. My suggestion is to have a dream or a big goal and then break it down into smaller ones. If you're looking to lose weight, focus on no more than 10 pounds at a time. Before you know it, each of those ten pounds goals really adds up!

2. Recruit Your Cheer Leaders

Making lifestyle changes isn't easy. Whether you are looking to add walking 30 minutes a day three days a week to your routine or hoping to lose 100 pounds, you are more likely to be successful if you surround yourself with people that will cheer you on and help you stay on track when you have a bad day or feel like giving up. Especially if you live with others, be it family, friends, or roommates, tell them what you are doing and why you are doing it. Invite them to join you or at least ask them to be supportive. It's hard to eat healthy if everyone else is eating unhealthy. When I lived in the dorm at school last year with 16 other people, I made sure everyone knew what I was doing. Instead of insisting that there never be treats in the kitchen, I asked that they be covered with foil and kept in one place so that if I was having a particularly challenging day, I could just avoid that area and not have to see the tempting brownies, cookies, etc. Also, ask for help! Personal trainers and nutritionists are wonderful resources!

3. Reward Yourself

Once you have set your goals and established mini ones, choose dates when you want to achieve them by. Again, make sure you are being realistic. Losing 5 pounds in one week is not reasonable; I don't care what you may have seen on the Biggest Loser! Strive for things like: "I will walk an extra mile this week or I will lose 10 pounds in eight weeks." Then pretend it's Christmas and make a wish list. Choose things that correspond to your goals and also that are realistic gifts you can buy yourself. Maybe it's 5 new songs for your iPod for a mini goal and a massage for a milestone.

Good luck!