Most people want to change at least one part of their health and diet but it can be difficult to know what goals to set and how to stay motivated. In this blog post we’re going to share our top tips for getting motivated, how to stay motivated and how to regain motivation when you lose it.
First, let’s look at why motivation is important.
One of my favourite quotes is ‘if you’re not growing you’re dying’. It can be helpful to think of motivation in this way. Without motivation we have little desire to change, to grow and to push ourselves to become the person we want to be. More than that, motivation helps us to deal with challenging problems and to change old habits that are keeping us from living our best life.
One of the biggest mistakes we see our clients make when it comes to motivation is the goal isn’t set correctly and so it becomes almost impossible to reach.
To help set yourself up for success, we recommend setting SMART goals. You may have heard this strategy before . It refers to the method of defining your goals and when followed, makes it easier to establish and keep, motivation.
SMART Goal Setting
S = specific
M = measurable
A = attainable
R = relevant
T = time
Setting a SMART goal means setting yourself up to succeed. After all, there is no point setting a goal that’s not achievable in the time frame. Do you agree?
This is the same process we take our clients through when they first join our programs.
Once you have set your SMART goal, find an accountability parter to help keep you on track. Our dietitian’s act as a helpful cheerleader, you can also engage a friend, colleague, partner or family member.
Tips To Stay Motivated
Tip 1: Make your goal a part of your routine. For example if your goal is to lose 5kg then it will be helpful to schedule in daily exercise and meal prepping on Sunday’s. Getting into a routine is the easiest way to stay motivated and on track, long-term.
Tip 2: Keep a journal. When you’re working towards a goal it’s easy to focus only on the end result and forget about the little milestones along the way. Acknowledging these small wins and celebrating them (in away that doesn’t involve food) is important to keep motivation levels high.
Tip 3: Watch your self talk. Maintaining positive thoughts is easier said than done sometimes. That’s why we like to help our clients with daily positive affirmations. To do this for yourself, write three affirmations or positive thoughts that resonate with you (pinterest is a great place to find these!) onto a post it note. Stick the post it’s to the mirror and read them out loud to yourself every morning when you wake up and every evening before bed.
How To Regain Motivation When You’ve Lost It
Having a plan in place to regain motivation once you slip up is crucial to long term success. Here are our top 3 tips to help you regain motivation after a bad day, holiday or minor slip up:
Tip 1: Reassess your goal. A slip up or loss of motivation could mean it’s time to reassess your goal. Run your goal back through the SMART method we discussed earlier as some of these parameters may have changed from when you first started.
Tip 2: Take a break. If your goal was a big one, such as to lose 50kg, it’s helpful to break it down into smaller chunks. Instead of trying to lose all 50kg at once, try aiming for 10kg increments. At the end of each 10kg loss take a month off, reward yourself and regain motivation for the next 10kg.
Tip 3: Team up with a dietitian or support buddy. Often we find clients start working with us because they got some of the way on their own and now need more support to reach the end. This is very normal and very common. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. To hire a coach or reach out to a friend who can get you back on track and motivated to reach your goal. This action alone could be the difference between success and failure.
To learn more about the ways our dietitian’s can support you to reach your goals, click here to book a free 30 minute session and claim your FREE custom nutrition plan!