Two Goals for Twice the Motivation

So it’s Monday again. Hopefully you are making an effort to plan your weeks; including how you are fitting exercising and eating healthy into your schedule. Today’s motivational tip is one I so use to “trick” myself to stay on track. Kind of a one – two- punch. So let’s explore how this effective tactic works.

 

Probably like you, I struggle with consistency. An early morning appointment, my day not going as planned, getting up late, too tired… you name it, I can easily miss a workout especially when I don’t consciously plan and track. To try and keep myself moving forward and consistently exercising, I have found having two goals highly effective. 

 

  My first goal is short term. I loooove massages and have a membership to one of those national massage chains. The fee is drafted automatically from my checking account monthly. However, my motivational rule is that I can’t book my massage until I meet my workout requirements of consistently completing workouts for a specific time frame. Usually my goal is completing my workout schedule for three weeks straight. If I miss a workout or get off track, my count starts over!

 

Talk about motivating. It kills me monthly to see the fee coming out of my account and not be able to book my massage! After my workout, I diligently record it so I can keep track and make sure I’m one workout closer to my next massage.

 

The second goal is a longer term goal two or three months out. I figure out something I am working towards. Usually it’s a seasonal shopping trip. This trip has a date and is marked on my calendar. So at the end of every week that I meet my workout goal, I put money into my shopping trip fund. If I didn’t meet my workout goal for the week, no money is added to the kitty. When it’s time for my shopping trip, the money I’ve earned is what I use. Wearing my “reward” clothes feels good and serves as a reminder of my progress and what I am working towards.

 

Little tricks like these can go a long way in keeping you motivated to exercise and stay on track. Use them and adapt them to support your fitness goals. What are your short and long term goal tricks? Leave me a message. I’d love to know!