Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Jim Ryun

When you set yourself a goal, what is your motivation? Whether it is to slim down for an upcoming holiday, feel better about yourself and the way you look in your clothes, there should be something that you can remind yourself about to keep you on track with your goal. The determination of these reasons should be enough to keep you motivated and on track with your targets until you reach it… just keep reminding yourself!

The enthusiasm you have towards a goal to start with may not always show itself further on down the line. If you are having a bad day or blip with progress, remember the reason WHY you are doing it and this will mean that you can try to stay committed to your goal and hopefully achieve the time frame set at the beginning. Keeping motivated can be difficult, so ask for family and friends help. This could be getting them to remind you not to eat certain thing (without nagging!) or workout with a friend so that it also becomes a social aspect of your life. The more support you have from others to reach your goal, the more likely you are to get there.

The first few weeks of an exercise plan, diet, change of lifestyle etc. are always the hardest, as it is thought to take 21 days to create a habit. Once you have got into this habit, experts say you will need to continue for 6 months for it to actually become part of your daily life. So stay committed and keep going with your goal in order to achieve long term results