Motivation: Where does yours come from?

We all need a little push from time to time, to get ourselves into some daily activity, to start our day with a healthy breakfast, or maybe you are the motivation for people around you!

Most often when we embark on a healthy lifestyle, we make a number of changes (sometimes, dietary restrictions) too fast, too soon, causing us to “lose our motivation” sooner rather than later.  So where do we start?  The best way for anything to become long-term is to start small.  Choose one thing.  This can be a goal, or a positive change you’re going to commit to: 

–       Having breakfast in the morning

–       climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator

–       going for a walk every morning before the start of your day

–       incorporating an extra serving of vegetables in your diet

–      switching out your high calorie morning snack with a more healthy option (ie.choosing yogurt and almonds instead of that over-sized, calorie laden cafeteria muffin)

–       switching the pop you drink in your diet to water or soda water with lemon 

A short-term goal within an achievable time frame is key.  Once you’ve reached your goal reward yourself.  When we reward ourselves, our brains associate pleasure to being focused on our goals.  A goal can include anything from going to a movie with a good friend, buying that top you’ve been eyeing, treating yourself to a manicure, or heading to your favourite sports game.  Keeping a fitness and food diary is another way to help you recognize how you are fuelling and energizing “YOUR” body.  This action will help you become more aware of the choices you make throughout your day, and be accountable to YOURSELF for those choices.

Write down 5 things that motivate you.  It could be a happy moment in your life, a powerful accomplishment, a person, a picture with meaningful insight or a quote.  Sometimes we become so busy in our daily rituals that we “subconsciously” forget about where our motivation comes from or what it is.  If there’s a powerful picture with a strong meaning, or a quote, place these somewhere you visit every day:  your washroom cupboard, your car visor or simply on your desk.  We all need little reminders from time to time, and as we begin to make small healthy tweaks to our daily routines, that little extra ‘push’ will go a long way!

You’ll get there! We all will.  There’s a support system for each of us.  We just need to acknowledge it, and more importantly recognize our own potentials that help drive us towards our everyday successes!