7 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Keep Going

A survey once showed that the number 1 resolution that most people make on New Year’s Day is to lose weight or get fit. The survey also went on to show that this very same resolution was the one most often broken by end January or February.

So why are people not able to keep at it? Where did the initial excitement go? Why have they wasted money on an expensive gym membership but stopped going?

The answer is motivation.

In the beginning, there is the initial excitement of starting something new. The future seems happy with a healthy, toned body.

However, once the excitement dies down, and people realise that results are not coming fast, they lose interest and it all becomes mundane and even unpleasant.

I’ve listed 7 ways to motivate you to keep on keeping on. When the going gets tough, these tips will keep you going. When you don’t see the results as fast as you want, these methods will give you the patience and persistence to forge ahead.

1. Write down why you want to lose weight, get fit, build muscle, etc. Define a strong why. Keep asking why until you get to the real truth. Why do you want to lose weight? Because you want to fit into the bikini. Why? So you look good at the beach? Why must you look good at the beach? So, your boyfriend admires your sexy figure and thinks you’re hot. THAT is the why. To be admired and desired. Keep digging till you get to the truth.

2. Find a training partner so that each of you can encourage each other when one of you is down. 

3. Subscribe to YouTube channels that have videos on exercise motivation. Watch these videos. Or, like pages on Facebook that are dedicated to workout motivation. Use all these to motivate yourself daily. Keep up the excitement.

4. Do NOT stop. If your schedule was very busy on a certain day and you do not have time for a one hour workout, do not just skip it and feel guilty. Do a quick 10 minutes of push-ups or sit-ups. Or maybe skipping for 15 minutes. A quick workout that leaves you gasping for air. It will make you feel better and you’d have burnt a few calories too.

5. Recognising a slip up but carrying on. Many people slip up on their diets and once they do, they just give up on it and eat whatever they want. Understand that all of us slip up once in a while but it’s not over. Tell yourself that it’s ok and you will not make a similar mistake again. Just because you gave in to temptation and had a slice of pizza does not mean you should finish the whole pizza.

6. Change your workouts often. Keep your body guessing and it’ll be interesting for you too. Do not let your training become monotonous and predictable.

7. Listen to music while training. It beats listening to your panting and gasping. Change your music often too. Music that is upbeat, catchy and with fast beats.

All of us go through periods when we are feeling down or just not in the mood. It is perfectly normal. The key point to note is that if you’re not in the mood for a long workout, just do a short one.

Never stop and never give up. Read your “why” that you wrote before, whenever you just feel like quitting. Remember your “why”, and then get back on track.