If you are on any fitness journey, you know that motivation comes and goes. Now that it is March, are you struggling to maintain that motivation from the new year? You probably are not alone. By now a lot of people have stopped working toward their goals completely because they feel like they lack the motivation to keep going.

I know for me, I cannot rely on motivation. I am not motivated all of the time. Honestly, I am hardly ever actually motivated. It is so easy to not go to the gym, sit at home, and order food. But I know that for me, I absolutely cannot do that long term. I have learned over the many years, that I feel so heavy and extra lethargic when I don’t eat right and move my body.

There are many many tips to stay motivated all over the internet. But not all of those tips work for everyone. So I thought that I would share the top six tips that work best for me to continuously work toward my fitness goals. These tips are centered around fitness goals, but really, can be applied to other goals in life.

1. Remember your ‘why’

   I think this one is a well-known fitness tip, but it is my number one tip. If you remember why you started in the first place, you will be more likely to push through the lack of motivation and keep working toward your goals. If you haven’t really thought about why you started, it may be a great time to break it down and find your reasons why.

   For me, I like to stay active. When I started years ago, I was just curious to try yoga. I really cannot remember what drew me to it. But it was the kickstart to my fitness journey. I fell in love with getting stronger and feeling the changes in my body.

   Fast forward to today. My ‘why’ is to live a healthy and active lifestyle. I have so many mini-goals to achieve along the way. I want to gain muscle, improve my body composition, and maintain/improve my mobility. But my main big picture goal is to live a long, healthy, and active life.

2. Focus on forming habits

   Motivation will not always be there. While you remember why you got started and push through those times with no motivation, you will also begin forming habits that will become a part of your everyday life.

   I just crave that movement. I love the feeling of pushing my body to its limits in the gym. I love how eating healthy makes me feel. But it has taken years of creating those habits to realize. I have always gone off and on with my fitness journey. I’d go a couple of months completely on it, then months completely off of it.

   So while you are beginning to form those habits, start small. Pick one or two small changes you want to make. Then change only those things. After a while, you will begin to do these things automatically. You won’t have to think about it. Then add in other habits you’d like to change.

   For example, I began with working out and making more meals at home. Then I learned how my body feels when I changed those things. It became a habit that I craved going to the gym and more processed foods just didn’t sound as appealing.

   While I do still have meals out and some processed foods now and again, I still try to keep my overall ‘diet’ full of whole foods. I do not demonize any foods, but I know that when I am eating more nutrient-dense, balanced home-cooked meals, I feel my best. But when I am craving some chocolate, I have some, but in moderation.

3. Do something you love

   When you are doing something you love, you are more likely to keep it up and continue to form those habits. I began with yoga. I love yoga and continue to go back to it. But it is not my only form of exercise. It is only a part of it now. That beginning love just perpetuated my love for fitness overall.

4. Set yourself up for success

   This one is kind of a two-part tip.

   First, get ready for the gym the day before. Set out your clothes or pack your gym bag before you go to bed. By getting ready to just grab your stuff and go the night before, you are giving yourself all of the opportunities to get changed, grab your stuff and go to the gym. When I was going to the gym before work, I would set out my clothes the night before. So that when I get up I just had to change and get out the door. Now I go to the gym after work, so all I have to do is grab my gym bag and go. I have everything I need and I am ready to go to the gym at the end of my workday.

   The second tip is meal prep. Fitness is reliant on nutrition. You cannot outwork a bad diet. So I highly rely on meal prep to keep me on track. It takes me a couple of hours to meal prep. But the time it would take for me to make meals every single day would take longer. I love the convenience of having meals ready to microwave. It just makes it easier for me to stay on track. I know what I am eating and how much when my food is prepared ahead of time.

5. Make it work for you

   I used to go to the gym before work. I loved it so much. Starting the day at the gym just sets such a positive tone for the day. But I am most productive first thing in the morning. So I had to change my schedule. I wake up early to work on content creation. Then I go to the gym after work. My work is about 5 minutes from the gym, so since I am already on that side of town, it just makes the most sense to change my schedule this way. I love that I made this change. I am utilizing my strengths to make the MOST of my time. We only get 24 hours a day. I have to go to work, I have to sleep, and I have to relax. So How can I make the most of the rest of the time that I have to achieve my goals?

6. Breaks are good

   Breaks are so important. I have been forced to take breaks from working out due to injury and colds. But allowing yourself to take an extra recovery day, however, that looks for you can make all of the difference. My biggest tip here is that you need to be ok with taking breaks. Do not beat yourself up for taking recovery days. Do not push yourself too hard to the point of injury. I often need to remember this when I feel like I need a break. I love going to the gym, but there are times when I need to take a break. I adjust my workout split so that I have the opportunity to take the weekend off if I need. But I still have the flexibility to have a workout to do during the weekend as active recovery days. So, just remember that we need to be okay with taking breaks in whatever way that looks for you that aligns with your goals.

These are my biggest tips to maintain my ‘motivation’ for working toward my fitness goals. I hardly ever have any motivation, but I have to rely on these tips to keep up any momentum that I already have. Tip number one is usually the biggest thing that I have to remember to get me going. Then the rest of my tips follow my daily mantra, what is something I can do today that my future self will thank me for. How can I set myself up for success tomorrow? All of these tips heavily follow that mantra.

If you are here and reading this, that means you have an interest in your health and fitness. That is so good; I am so excited for you! Taking care of your body is literally the best thing you can do for yourself in the present and the long term.

I find that quote so inspiring. Hard work will pay off in the future, but you also have to live in the moment, and I feel like taking care of yourself is doing both. You are doing good for yourself now as well as for your future self.

If you are interested in learning more about all things health and fitness, follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram @myactivelife_stacey. I am now offering nutrition and personal training online coaching programs. These six-week programs are designed to help you create lifelong healthy habits with nutrition and fitness. Click here to learn more!

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