Staying Consistent Through Summer
As we approach the 4th of July and summer vacations, the realities and demands of life may cause dwindling motivation.
But, we've said it before and we'll say it again: consistency is key!
To not lose your motivation, here are the 5 key tips to being consistent, even when you’re busy with warm weather activities or have been putting off the gym. Apply them to your goals, and you can stay on track.
1. Outline clear actions and anticipate obstacles.
In other words, be specific and be prepared. If your goal is to work out more, decide ahead of time what you will do, where you will do it, what time this will happen, and what needs to be prepared in advance to allow you to do it. A lack of clarity is the first obstacle to action. Then, think about what often gets in the way of your plans. For example, if you plan to run outside but the heat just feels too overwhelming, plan your Virtual Fitness classes to work out at home, or plan to work out at a gym (or your neighborhood studio!) before you get home.
2. Organize the environment to make it easy.
Planning to go for a run first thing in the morning to beat the heat? Have your shoes and running clothes ready by your bed. Put them on as soon as you wake up and turn on some motivating beats. Now, all you have to do is step out your door. Look for creative ways to manipulate your environment to make your task as easy as possible to accomplish. When our plans are inconvenient, it becomes very easy to make excuses. So, make them convenient.
3. Commit to your plan.
Committing to your plan mean committing to your goal! Once you've set the time and location, make it non-negotiable. Treat it like a job. If non-emergency things come up, plan to do them before or after the time you set aside for your goal. When something comes up and you're tempted to change your plan, ask yourself: Would I walk out on my job for this? No? Then don't walk away from your commitment to yourself either. Make your goals a priority.
4. Start small and reexamine your expectations.
Do what you can and count what you do. A few sets of squats and push-ups before you shower may not sound like much when you had expected to do a full workout, but those sets are probably more than you've done before. And, when you do more than before, you've made progress! It's better to take small steps and build on them until you have a solid habit rather than make excuses for unreasonable expectations. Set yourself up to feel successful!
5. Keep going.
During the summer months with all the fun activities going on, it can be easy to put your goals on pause. If you have to take a week or two off for events, holidays, and vacations, it’s still worth it to commit to your goals when you can. Remember the 80/20 rule: even if you’re only committed 80 percent of the time, it’s still progress towards your goals. Every workout counts and it’s okay to take time off for yourself… just get right back to your goals when you can.