How To Stay Motivated to Meet Your Health Goals

Making the first jump into a new, healthier lifestyle is the easy part. Exercising once doesn’t seem so hard, nor does eating a few healthy meals or skipping dessert once or twice. Staying motivated over time, once the initial enthusiasm wears off, on the other hand, can prove a much more difficult challenge. Need some help staying motivated toward your health goals? Try some of these strategies. 

1. Make it part of your routine

One of the easiest ways to be sure that you’re continuing to exercise is simply making it part of your routine. Once you’ve gotten into the habit of rolling out of bed earlier, or of stopping at the gym instead of going straight home from work, it’s often much easier to do the next time. 

2. Set smaller goals

Often big goals–losing 20, 30, or 40 pounds or kicking that sugar craving to the curb once and for all–seem an incredibly long way away. Smaller goals, on the other hand, are more attainable. Break your big-picture goals down into smaller ones and celebrate those little milestones along the way. 

3. Work with an accountability partner 

Having someone on your side to help keep you accountable can go a long way toward raising your overall motivation. It’s much harder to skip that workout when you know that someone will be waiting for you when you get there. 

4. Focus on the progress

Keep an eye on what you have already accomplished, it may surprise you to realize just how far you’ve come! Use progress pictures or have your doctor check your blood sugar, cholesterol, or other levels. When you see yourself making genuine health progress–not to mention feeling better overall–you’ll find that it’s much easier to stick with those goals.

Your health and wellness goals are important. Find ways to stick with those strategies long-term to keep seeing the progress you’ve wanted from the beginning. These strategies can help you maintain that motivation even when you run into obstacles along the way.