It is so easy to tell yourself that you are going to accomplish something new, but what happens when this task takes longer than you had allowed for? Your motivation starts to disappear and quite often you give up on the idea altogether.
It definitely can be hard to stay focused on certain things. Weight loss is a fine example of this. If you have ever tried to lose weight you know your enthusiasm is so high for the first week or two. As you make lifestyle changes the pounds drop off quickly and you are feeling great about your efforts.
A few weeks into your diet you plateau and don’t lose any weight. You start to eat a little more or stop exercising as much and then before you know it you have abandoned your goal and have gone back to your old habits.
There are several reasons for this. First you may not have recognized that plateauing is a perfectly normal occurrence when it comes to losing weight. Secondly, did you use not losing any weight as an excuse to have that extra treat or to miss a workout? Your mind can do wonderful things and is capable of coming up with hundreds of reasons to not do something.
To stay motivated and focus you can do a number of things including:
• Set smaller goals • Keep a calendar or use a planner • Share your goals with someone else • Join a group of people with the same goals
By creating smaller goals you won’t feel as overwhelmed when your results start to dwindle or slow down. If you break this down further into weekly targets you can easily stay focused longer. It isn’t as hard to do something new from a Monday to Friday as it is to think about doing it for months at a time.
Next, be honest with yourself. If you have had any success at all before you hit that plateau then congratulate yourself on that achievement. Focus on what you have done and not where you have to go! This is why it is often a good reason to keep a written journal or notebook of “wins.” When you are feeling down take a look at them and remember what you did accomplish.
By changing your mindset to be more positive you can stay focused on your goals.
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