Getting healthy can be easier than you think. If you’re like me, you’ve probably tried to start something new only to get distracted or run into complications and not follow through. Fortunately for us, there are some easy ways to stay motivated.
The dimensions of wellness can be broken down into seven parts: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, financial, and environmental. With so many important areas, it is easy to understand how you can get distracted or feel overwhelmed.
I’ve learned that the Wellness Wheel is the best way for me to stay organized, motivated, and on track toward my goals. It helps in many different areas, like losing weight, focusing on your work, getting or staying fit, and saving money.
Keep reading to discover the surprising secrets that can help you find your motivation and stay on track.
Practice Goal Setting and Keep a Schedule
Happiness is what happens when you make meaningful progress toward an important goal. So what do you do if you don’t have any important goals? Being healthy is probably the most important thing in your life. As the saying goes, if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything. So if you need a goal and can’t find one, focusing on your health is a great place to start. And as you get healthier, you’ll probably find other goals you want to pursue as well.
Getting organized and setting goals will help you make progress in the most effective and efficient ways. As you make progress, each step will be met with an increase in happiness. Getting healthier will also make you feel good.
Using the wellness wheel as your guide, make a list of the things you want to change in your life. Break these elements down into manageable pieces and create a daily checklist of simple and easy things to do. As you go through your day, check off each task as you complete it.
The secret to motivational and organizational checklists is that the tasks don’t have to be big. Checking off the little tasks will give you a thrill too. I suggest making the first five tasks on your list simple and easy — things like making your bed, showering, brushing your teeth, and getting dressed.
When you check these items off your list, the little boost you get will help you on your way. Like Isaac Newton said, a body in motion tends to stay in motion.
Focus Helps You Stay Motivated
Improving your mental habits can help with workout motivation. Exercise does more than just burn calories and body sculpting. It also improves your mood and energy level, which makes it easier to get and stay motivated.
A positive affirmations journal can also help. It is a way to incorporate positive self-talk into your daily routine. Come up with five minutes each day where you can write in your journal. Right before bed is my favorite time for journaling. If you’re a morning person, you might want to try journaling right when you wake up.
Writing things down improves your memory and your focus. Getting your brain in line is probably the most important step to wellness. As you make progress, be sure to keep all seven dimensions of wellness balanced. This is the best way to learn how to stay motivated.
It’s easy to say you’re going to work out, but how do you make sure you follow through? Getting motivated to work out is tricky. Exercise is one of the best ways to create motivation, but many people have a hard time getting started.
My secret to exercise is to choose activities you already enjoy. If you like skiing or biking or playing sports, these activities can be used as rewards that will teach you how to get motivated. And exercising doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be as simple as taking a walk around the block, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Seek Social Support
We, humans, are social animals, so we work better when we feel like we are part of a team. We also tend to specialize. Our support network gives us access to people who have skills that can help us. Check-in with the most important people in your life on a regular basis, so when you need each other, you’ll both be ready.
Some of the important people in your life may be negative or hard to deal with. How can you keep in contact with them without letting them drag you down? This can be difficult, but there are things you can do to make it easier. If you keep your contact with negative people short and focused, then it’s more likely that you will have positive experiences. This way you can keep them in your life and neutralize some or all of the negativity. It can also help you and them develop healthy habits centered on positive interactions.
Self-motivation is the key to success. It’s easier to get started when you remember to be positive. This doesn’t mean you ignore the negative side of the equation. Just put things in the right order. When you’re not moving,try to be positive. As you build a good head of steam and you’re getting things done, take a moment and ask yourself what could go wrong. When you have energy and optimism, it’s easier to look at the negative things that are happening and could happen. This way you don’t neglect anything, but you don’t let the negative things sap your motivation and will.
Take Baby Steps
Having a plan is the key to staying motivated. It doesn’t have to be complicated, or even big. It can be as simple as getting up and doing five minutes of exercise every day. Many people advocate just trying to be 1% better every day. When you’re only making small changes, it’s easier to forgive yourself when you make a mistake. Forgiveness is an important key to learning how to stay motivated.
If you make tiny improvements on a regular basis, over time, it will add up to massive change. I recommend you form a plan and stick to it. Start small and build up over time. Why not take ten minutes right now to put your plan together, and take that first step!
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