Staying motivated after starting a fitness journey is not easy. With probably the exception of an injury or life tragedy, most people stop sticking to their fitness journey simply because they lose the proper motivation to keep going. It doesn’t take a psychologist to know that life will throw far more reasons at you to give up on your fitness journey than it does to keep going.
One of the biggest reasons why people lose motivation is that they set a really big goal, and when achieving that goal proves to take time, they give up. I know that I have fallen victim to that scenario many times in my life. A way to combat that is by setting a big goal, but then creating a series of smaller goals that further the larger goal.
For example, rather than just setting a goal of losing 40 pounds, set subgoals of losing 5 pounds, 10 pounds, 20 pounds, and 30 pounds. Additionally, set a goal to maintain a calorie deficit for one week, two weeks, etc., and to lift weights and do cardio ‘X’ amount of times a week with similar calendar-based milestones. How many subgoals you need to set depends on your larger goal and how far you are away from that goal.
By setting smaller goals, you give yourself milestones to celebrate, and I cannot emphasize this enough, CELEBRATE THOSE MILESTONES. It is vital for you to ‘win the mental game’ on your fitness journey, and when you accomplish something make sure to celebrate it and feel good about it. You deserve to do so for putting in the hard work and sacrifice.
Furthermore, setting and surpassing smaller goals demonstrates to your brain and your soul that you are making progress. A fitness goal journey is not an all-or-nothing thing. As I often say on this website, value progress over perfection. If you are making progress, you are winning. You only lose if you give up.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ability to stay motivated was evident in everything that he did in his bodybuilding career, which is why he won so many competitions. He talks a lot about the need to stay motivated in his book, The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, and touches on setting ‘big goals and little goals.’ (page 233)
“Along with the big goals you set for yourself – the kind of physique you hope ultimately to create, the competitions you want to win – you also have to learn to set smaller goals – day-to-day challenges, short-term achievements.” Arnold writes.
“Sometimes focusing only on long-term goals can be discouraging. But as the old saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I always had plans that covered different periods of time.” Arnold also writes.
Be thoughtful and methodical about your goal setting. Set yourself up for success. Your future self will thank you for it.
***
Disclaimer: The contents of this article and this website are not meant to substitute for the professional advice of a doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer. This content is provided as an educational tool to help people on their fitness journeys. While we strive to research topics as much as possible and provide useful and accurate information to the best of our abilities, we also strongly recommend talking to your doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer before starting any workout, therapeutic, or nutritional regimen, as each individual’s needs and situations vary depending on the person.