How to Stay Motivated

It’s REALLY hard to keep up new habits at first because what you’re doing in the moment seems to have no effect on where you’re headed. But when we see those first inklings of progress, the sprouting cherry blossoms after months of no growth, we get an infusion of energy, a renewed sense of focus and drive.

We humans love instant gratification. But we also love the feeling of triumph we get after achieving something we’ve worked incredibly hard on for a long period of time. So how do we cross the chasm? How do we stay motivated before we see any progress?

You must reward yourself along the way for taking the right actions in pursuit of your goal. Commit to hitting four workouts this week, and if you do, buy yourself that new dress you loved so much. Eat a good breakfast 3 days in a row and get a coffee out with a friend the following day. Meditate two days this week and snag that new book you're interested in reading.

Whatever you do make sure you ACTUALLY DO THE THING YOU PROMISED YOURSELF. Your psyche is smarter than you, and if you lie to it you better believe it’s not going to do what you want the next time around.

If you made a commitment to your kid that you’d take them to Skyzone if they hit the honor roll would you actually take them? Of course you would. They earned it, you made a commitment, and you love them. So why would you ever think about not living up to your promise to yourself?

It’s only a matter of time until you see some cherry blossoms in your life. But until then, what will you do to stay on track?