The holidays hit me like a ton of bricks I moved, work was and still is incredibly stressful, and I needed to prepare for all the Xmas and New Years festivities. On top of all that daylight was in short supply which does not help my lack of motivation.
Slowly, I ran less often and then not at all. Then my eating habits started becoming less strict because I was so stressed from work and didn’t have time to do anything else food became my reward. It became a mantra of, “oh I stayed late at work again I guess I can eat these three pieces of chocolate and this handful of popcorn”. On top of that, snacks full of sugar and carbs became very available in my office as I am sure is similar for a lot of you. The easiest gift is a box of chocolates or cookies. Needless to say there was a new assortment of sweets arriving daily in the three weeks leading up to Christmas. Just talking about this is giving me anxiety. How could I let 7 months of working go to waste?
As the new year comes and goes the hope of a change becomes the work you have to put in to succeed at it. What I mean is, all the hope you had to meet your goal now turns into putting in the work to be a success. You jump from the planning stage to execution stage and it can be scary especially if you have tried to meet this goal before.
I am here to tell you the above scenario happens to everyone. Anyone can give tips on how to get motivated, but what happens when you hit a speed bump or fail?
You get back up and fight harder get up earlier and test your creativity when it comes to completing your goals.
Go Back to Basics
What did you do when you first started this goal that pushed you to get to where you are?
For me my first small step was to count calories. It’s not a punishment, I just know it works for me.
Start by doing things that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Make a reminder and make sure it becomes part of your routine.
Make a List
Literally make a list with a pen and paper and post it somewhere you will see it everyday. This will be a list of all the things you need to do to complete your goal. For me the list would look a little something like this.
Build muscle:
-count calories
-Find five workouts online that you can do in your living room
-Do 3 morning workouts a week
-Do 20 push ups every night
-Join a gym
The last on the list is a very cliche New Years thing, but it’s more about accountability and convenience than getting in shape. I love running outside because it’s free and I know I will never have to wait for a treadmill. However, at the gym I can run longer distances without having to worry about getting lost (don’t judge). I can also use other machines to workout if I’m not in the mood to run which makes me more accountable to go workout more than three days a week if I get back to that point (My ultimate goals are to run a half marathon and go to the gym everyday, but we are dealing with the readily achievable goals here).
Don’t Be Afraid To Fail Again
A lot of my goals have been fitness related lately, but blogging is still a goal of mine which is another reason I am trying to desperately to get into a routine. I want to manage my time so well that I am consistently posting on my blog. However, what keeps happening is that I keep getting busy at work or have a couple busy weekends in a row and the blog is the first thing that gets put on the back burner.
But that’s okay.
You’re allowed to fail it teaches you lessons. You have to figure out the wrong way to do something before you can do it right.
I know. Failing absolutely sucks. There’s nothing like realizing that week you took off from running turned into a month and that you haven’t blogged in three months even though you have all these ideas.
It’s about navigating the hurdles. Sometimes your land on your feet and sometimes you land on your face. That’s life. If you’re not failing you’re not living.
Get it Done
I’m all about the planning process, but just restarting your journey will make you feel closer to your goal more that anything else. New Years’ weekend was the climax of the longest and most unproductive month of my life. I stayed up late drinking and eating with friends and then spent the whole next day running around seeing friends and family staying up late again. Then waking up extremely early to run an errand. To start of my journey I woke up at six AM before work and did a thirty minute work out and so a a few other morning routines I am trying to establish (aka flossing). I felt great! Accomplished! Yes it was only the first day, but I did it! Getting re-started is the first step to getting back to completing your goals!
Enjoy The Progress!
Just because you failed once doesn’t mean your doomed to fail again! One small success is still a success and it leads to more successes. All these little successes will eventually lead you to your final goal! Assuming you’re going to fail again is just a self fulfilling prophecy that you don’t want!
So get out there and get back on that horse! You can accomplish anything, learn anything, and do anything if you just work hard and work smart!
I hope these tips help and you succeed! Let me know some of your successes big and small in the comments below!