Motivation is fleeting. Oftentimes, we end up making big promises to ourselves to work out and exercise. But these are false promises. The very next day our hand reaches to hit the snooze button. This is a repeated pattern that all of us are stuck in. As the New Year approaches, many of us want to break this bubble and really take care of our physical health by exercising.

Reward yourself

In the book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg says that we make habits by creating habit loops. These loops start with a ‘cue’, then ‘routine’ and then ‘reward’. It is quite possible that the main reason we give up exercise so easily is that we never see any reward or result. Weight loss takes months to show itself. So before the results show themselves, give yourself small rewards every day. This could be increased nap time or watching your favourite TV show.

Announce your goals

Psychology says that if you announce and let other people know about your goals then you are more likely to achieve them. This is because you are committing to another person. This creates seriousness in your mind regarding the goal of exercising. One can achieve this by letting their friends or family know it. One can also use social media to let others know about your commitment to exercising. 

Positive Thinking

We often underestimate the power of positive thinking. It is one thing that can tremendously change your mind. For instance, if you miss one day of exercising, you often start blaming yourself or feel guilty about it. Instead, one must reason with themself and look forward to the next day. Feeling guilty would make your brain make negative connections with exercise in general. 

Apart from these 3 things, make sure to have the reasons why you want to exercise in your mind. The reasons could push you to work out better. Track your progress. If you see a streak of days where you have exercised, it will push you to maintain it further.