Maximum Motivation- Set Goals and Track Your Progress

Last time, we talked about ways to keep your workout fresh as a means of stoking your motivation.  Another great way to stay motivated is through setting goals and tracking your progress.  Too often, especially once you reach a level of fitness where you aren’t seeing progress in leaps and bounds like you do when you first undertake a healthy lifestyle, it becomes easy to get complacent. Always having a goal on the horizon can help to keep your head in the game. 

Here are some ideas to help you use goal setting and tracking your progress as a motivation booster:

• Keep your goals top-of-mind by making them visible. I am a big fan of the stickerchart—Yes, the same thing your mom might have used when you were a kid for pottytraining and chores.  I love seeing my stickers add up. Added bonus, I keep mine on the fridge so I am reminded of my goals every time I reach for a meal or snack.

• Consider setting an event-based goal for yourself- Marathon and triathlon registration is booming as people discover the motivational value of having an event on the calendar. Fitness-based trips like bike treks and destination hiking are other goals to train towards.

• Set time-limited challenges for yourself. I am a big fan of one month, 10-week and 90-day challenges, depending on the goal.  Some I’ve done: eating vegan for a month, Bikram Yoga every day for 30 days, no cocktails for 10 weeks… It’s incredibly empowering and a great way to kickstart or test out new healthy habits.

• Use tools to track your progress. Gadgets like Nike+, BodyBugg or even a simple pedometer will give you objective feedback of your daily activity. Even a good ol’ paper and pencil journal will do the trick. Watching the numbers add up is hugely motivating.

• Share your tracking with others. There are loads of fitness-based communities out there that let you share your progress with others based on shared goals and interests. DailyMile, SparkPeople, Livestrong (The Daily Plate), and Strands just to name a few. 

• Don’t forget to take photos along your journey! I know, nobody wants to look at their “before” picture, but, trust me, when you get to “after” you’ll be glad you have it. Few things are as motivating as seeing how far you’ve come (and knowing you have a date with the camera lens on the horizon will keep you honest.)

In the next installment, we’ll talk about using rewards to keep your motivation cranking.