How to Keep Up Motivation for Your Healthy Lifestyle When You Want to Give Up Instead

Has the excitement of your New Year's Resolutions begun to fizzle out? We start of January so passionate about our new plans and brand new habits, and the novelty seems to wear off quickly. Suddenly, February rolls around, and we're left wondering why we even bothered with resolutions again this year.

The cycle continues.

It’s not easy to keep up motivation, even when you’re on the right track. For example, when you’re eating healthier, temptations may make you want to go back to your old ways. If you have a terrible day and reach for a pint of ice cream, that guilt can send you reeling and doubting your ability to make your goals.

But keep up, you must. If you’re not sure how to keep going without calling the whole thing off, let me bring you newfound inspiration.

Here are some of my tried-and-true ways to keep up my motivation when it gets tough.

Remember why

Why did you start your healthy lifestyle? Was it because your doctor warned you about your health? Was it because you were tired of being tired? Wanting to have the energy to keep up with your kids? Whatever the reason, get back to the “why” that motivated you in the first place.

Diffuse negativity

If you’re feeling unmotivated because you gobbled down a bag of chocolates after a horrid day at work, find some shred of positivity in your life and go for it. Slip-ups are all part of the growing process. Put it behind you and look to the future with kindness toward yourself.

See it as a challenge

Moms with kids can tell you that you can get any kid to devour their dinner with a little challenge. Try the same trick with yourself. When you see it as something to conquer and win, it triggers the need to come out on top. Make a game out of it and go for the gold!

Make a timeline

When you are working toward your goals, aiming to lose 50 pounds can feel impossible, especially when the scale is slow to budge in your favor. Instead of focusing on that end goal, make a timeline of mini-goals to achieve. Be reasonable about them and make them tangible. As you complete each one, you’ll feel closer to the end result, and you’ll be really proud of yourself for going for it.

Get support

Sometimes, we feel a lack of motivation because we feel like an island on our pursuit of wellness. If you look around that island though, you’re going to find many other people doing the same things. There are always groups you can join to help stay motivated. Whether you need a workout buddy or someone that loves to share healthy recipes, joining a group with the same types of goals as you can be excellent motivation to keep going. This can be a virtual group like a Facebook group that aligns with your goals, or an in-person group. Check out Meetup.com and see what's available in your area.

Theodore Roosevelt famously said, “Nothing worth having comes easy.” Quitting would be the easy thing to do. Take the challenge, and when you look back, you’re going to see you’ve come so much further than you ever imagined.