Health goals: How to renew your motivation

As December drew to a close, you solidified your plans to build a better you. January came and went, and your motivation was high — for once, you were confident you would stick to your resolutions. 

Now, as Spring approaches, motivation is slipping and you feel like you’re stumbling all the way back to square one.

Or perhaps you lost your footing on January 2nd, and you now feel deflated and rudderless. 

If you resonate with any of this, don’t worry, you’re in the right place. Below, we outline five simple tips and tricks to help you maintain your motivation as you march confidently into Spring.

1. Don’t beat yourself up

The vast majority of New Year’s Resolutions fail. So, you’re in good company. It’s not because you are “weak” or “lazy” or whatever you’re calling yourself. It’s because you are human and forming healthy habits that last is tough.

Consider today a blank slate and an opportunity to pick up where you left off. Here’s a quick and simple thought experiment that might help shift your thinking: 

1. Imagine your best friend came to you upset, and explained they had failed to stick to their New Year’s resolution. 

2. Imagine what you would you say to them.

3. Now, say all that to yourself.

2. Reconnect with your reasons

When making plans to improve your health, it’s important to have a why. Maybe it’s because you want to see your grandchildren grow up, or perhaps you have your sights set on running a marathon or moving toward a healthy weight.

Whatever it is, reconnecting with that can help. A study from the 80s followed people who made New Year’s resolutions. They found that the most successful resolvers used “stimulus control.”

Revisiting your reasons for improving your health can help rebuild motivation and help you refocus. So, try these things:

• Change the wallpaper on your phone to an image that triggers your motivation.

• Hang a picture somewhere prominent in your home.

• Keep a relevant image in your pocket, purse, or wallet for easy access.

Write out your reasons so you can read them if your motivation dips and: 

• Keep them on your person.

• Hang them in your office.

• Put them somewhere relevant to your habit change, like the fridge door.

• Turn them into a voice note so you can listen back.

3. Reward yourself for small wins

The study we mentioned above also found that setting goals and rewarding yourself for achieving them can aid success.

So, set yourself milestones — these shouldn’t be your end goals, just a point along your path. Your ultimate goal might seem so far away that it decreases motivation, so make sure to rejoice along the way. 

For instance, if you’re training to run a marathon, your first 10-mile run should earn you a reward.

Find a reward that really gets you motivated. That might be a: 

• Long soak in the tub.

• Walk in the countryside.

• Meal at that restaurant you love.

• Day off work to pamper yourself.

• Family day out.

• Trip somewhere special.

Or none of the above. You know you.

4. Build a support network

Reaching for lofty goals can sometimes feel like a lonely endeavor. And we all need people to hold us to account sometimes.

If you can be part of a network of people with similar goals, it can really help boost motivation. Research has shown that “Social networks provide a powerful approach for health behavior change.”

For instance, studies have found that internet-based online support helps people quit tobacco; and building a social network can help people eat healthily and lose weight. 

Depending on your goals, this might mean: 

• Join a relevant club, whether it’s for running, going to the gym, or cycling.

• Find online communities that align with your goals and contribute.

• Go to conferences or workshops. 

• Consider seeing a counsellor or therapist.

Also, talking to close friends or family members about your hopes and targets can help. Even if these people aren’t on the same path, they can keep you accountable and gee you along. And you might even inspire them to join you.

If you have a friend who always seems to give solid advice, start with them.

5. Keep track

To know how far you are from a goal, you need to keep track. It might be that you started off the year charting your progress, but eventually stopped as your motivation dwindled.

It’s time to get back on that horse. Start tracking again. It might feel demotivating to see you’ve got a way to go, but remember, today is a new beginning. 

Also, don’t compare yourself to others, especially those on social media. We all know that Instagram is not real life, but it’s easy to believe what you see when you’re at a low ebb. 

Instead, compare yourself with yourself. Ask, “Am I further forward than I was yesterday/last week/last year?”

Comparing what you do today with what you did yesterday makes anything seem more achievable.

Summary

If you feel like you’ve lost your mojo and you’re back-sliding into old ways, don’t give up. You haven’t failed, it was just a blip. 

One study found that more than half of people who succeeded at sticking to their New Year’s resolutions had at least one slip. Slipping doesn’t mean you won’t succeed, so: 

1. Be kind to yourself.

2. Remember why you started this journey.

3. Reward yourself along the way.

4. Reach out to others and build community.

5. Track your progress.