How To Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough

“Rewards are powerful motivators for behavior change. Small celebrations—a high-five after a challenging set or an “I nailed it” after completing a difficult challenge, even if that challenge was simply to get up and walk the planned five minutes for the day—create a positive wave of emotion. This positivity makes it more likely the person will repeat the desired behavior in the future.For better or worse, the most powerful and lasting rewards and punishments are the self-driven ones. Too often people are in the mindset of punishment: “I didn’t do the workout I had planned so I am a failure.” Or, “I ate more than I had planned, so I need to pay it back by punishing myself and not eating anything I enjoy for the next week.” But if the focus is changed to recognizing the positive steps a person has taken—“I got up and exercised, even though I didn’t want to. That’s awesome.” Or, “I added fruit to my breakfast and it felt great!”—then new behaviors would come more easily and last longer (hopefully becoming ingrained habits) because it will feel good to do them.” - Natalie Digate Muth, M.D.Most of us know what we need to do to reach our goals. But why do we get bogged down or give up? Perhaps a shift in our minds is what we need. For me, changing my mindset and enjoying the small victories and stopping negative self-talk has made a huge difference. You may not see that scale move everyday, or suddenly fit in your “skinny jeans,” but celebrating your daily accomplishments and figuring out how to redirect negative thoughts may just be thing you need.I love celebrating! Who doesn’t? And, when you focus on the positive changes, there’s always something to celebrate. For me, the biggest challenge was finding a way to celebrate without un-doing the positive change I made. For example, if I had a great day of clean eating, I’d be tempted to celebrate with a high calorie dessert. Now, I give myself a pat on the back and try to repeat the same thing the next day. After I’ve had several days of clean eating and tough workouts, I may treat myself to a new workout top, or a coffee date with a friend. After several months, if I’ve been consistent, I treat myself to some new shoes. Figure out what motivates you and then set up some predefined celebrations for when you hit your goal. Make a few short-term and long-term goals and share them with a friend or partner.Another issue that can impede your success, is negative self-talk. We are all guilty from time to time, but nothing derails your progress like entertaining those negative thoughts. I know these thoughts can pop into our heads at any given time...sometimes even in the midst of a workout. Having an awareness of your own thoughts is crucial, and having a plan or even a little catch phrase to tell yourself can be life changing. For example, in the midst of a set of squats I may look in the mirror and think something negative about my body. While I can’t stop that thought from popping into my head, I can stop myself from allowing it to stay for long. I tell myself, I’m working hard and getting stronger. And I know that change will occur if I keep at it.I hope we can all make changes toward a positive thought life and celebrate our victories both big and small! Leave a comment below and let us know some victories we can celebrate with you! Need more personal attention to make some of these positive changes? Hit me up!Crystal :)crystalcole13@gmail.com