How to Dodge Motivation Drain and Keep Making Progress

Nearly two-thirds of adult Americans make a fitness-related New Year’s resolution, and 73 percent of them give up before meeting it, according to a study by Harris Interactive.

Whether it’s the beginning of the year or not – everyone struggles to stick with health and fitness goals for a variety of reasons, including lack of convenience, and support, unnoticeable results and decreased motivation. But stopping before you’ve hit your goals isn’t the solution. In the same Harris Interactive study, 38 percent of respondents said it’s too hard to get back on track after falling off.

Instead of giving into motivation drain, and struggling to get your routine started again, push through the motivation drain to keep making progress. Here are a few ways to do exactly that.

Find a Partner

Motivating Factor: Support 

Few things are more motivating than a good friend, especially if they’re working toward a similar goal as you. A workout buddy will help you get up early in the morning, if you hit the gym before work, push through to the end of a tough set, and talk you through long treadmill sessions.

But don’t let your motivating partner become a distraction. If you find that they’re talking too much, or adding to your motivation drain, politely address the issue and move on. Perhaps there are other ways they can help motivate you that would be more effective.

Track Your Progress Daily, Weekly and Monthly

Motivating Factor: “It’s Working!”

Tracking your progress doesn’t mean you need to be posting #TransformationTuesday photos on Instagram each week. In fact, you don’t need to take any photos at all. Instead, track your progress in a few other ways:

• Daily: Use a fitness tracker to log steps, sleep, water drank and more. Don’t have a fitness tracker yet? Check out the FitBit, which was the favorite wearable among 2,000 people polled or the Xiaomi Mi Band 2, which is just $45, according to a recent pricing analysis by CouponBox.com.

• Weekly: Give yourself a fitness test each week with one exercise. Do the exercise at the beginning of the week for 30 seconds and see how many you can do. Repeat this at the end of the week and see if you can beat yourself. Track this over a 1-month period to see how much progress you’ve made.

• Monthly: Use a measuring tape to get a benchmark progress in the areas where you want to tighten up or lose weight, including your arms, legs and midsection. Re-measure each month and note the changes. 

Try Something New Each Week

Motivating Factor: No More Boredom

Doing the same exercises each week gets boring quickly and is one of the biggest reasons for motivation drain. When you’re bored, you’re less motivated to lace up your shoes and work out. Avoid boredom by trying something new each week.

If you belong to a gym, classes are perfect for this. Most gyms offer a variety of class options, at all different times, ranging from strength training to HIIT. With other people around, you may also be more motivated to push yourself. If you don’t belong to a gym, look to boutique fitness studios to try something new. Check out barre, yoga, boxing and more.

Trying something different will also challenge your body in new ways, allowing you to reach your goals faster. 

Work With a Personal Trainer

Motivating Factor: Professional Coaching

Sometimes, taking your workout routine to the next level is difficult to do on your own – especially if you’re not feeling motivated. This is where a personal trainer can be most valuable, especially if you’ve already built strength and learned what you do and don’t like in terms of fitness.

If you’re starting to slow down, get a burst of motivation from a 4- or 5-week program with a personal trainer. Not only will this help ensure you’re using proper form and pushing yourself safely, but you’ll kick motivation drain with someone there to make sure you work harder and reach new goals.

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