6 Techniques to Stay Motivated When You’re Feeling Stuck

Sick of suffering from lack of motivation? You’re not alone. Lack of motivation can suck the momentum right out of a fitness or diet plan. But you don’t have to live with it! Here are six techniques to stay motivated, even on the most stressful days.

You’re tired. You’ve had a stressful day/week/forever. Or you’re just not feeling it. Whatever the reason running through your head, you can feel your motivation to hit the gym, or make a healthy meal, seep out through your toes. Blah.

Sick of it?

Who isn’t! Luckily, there are ways that you can protect your motivation (and even give it a boost), before you start to lose it.

6 Techniques to Stay Motivated and Hit Your Goals

Look for simple ways to stay inspired and pack your day with motivation.

Technique #1: Clarify Your Goals

I love starting with an awkward “picture this”, so here goes nothing.

Imagine heading to the grocery store with no clue what you need. No list. Haven’t checked the fridge or pantry in days. No idea if you are shopping for dinner, or essentials. And why are all of the aisle signs written in French?

Are you feeling really confident in your ability to get this done? Are you infused with motivation to get in, get it done and get out?

Answer: no.

Same goes for your fitness goals.

If you don’t have a solid idea of what you want to accomplish, it’s hard to believe that you can get anything done. Without set goals, there’s no direction. You’re wandering the aisles with no real confidence in your ability to make the right decisions.

Which day in and day out, isn’t super motivating.

Clarify your goals. Write them down. Post them in your planner. Sticky note them to your bathroom mirror.

Understand what you want and just as importantly, why you want it, is a key factor in staying motivated. Why do you want that goal? How are you going to feel when you accomplish it? What’s going to be different about your body/confidence/lifestyle? Connect those feelings and emotions with your actions and I promise you, you’l find motivation everywhere.

Technique #2: Create a Motivator-Mood Board

A mood board is a “segue between initial thoughts…and the first draft of your project”. Creating a mood board allows you to see what direction you are going before you even get started.

You know those quotes you like on Instagram that really resonate with you and prompt you to reply to the poster, even if you don’t know her? Those go on your mood board. The songs, colors and images that feel strong, confident and endlessly energizing…include those. Pictures of the bada** women that inspire you to go for a run, hike a mountain, blend up a smoothie…add them too.

I like to create private boards on my Pinterest account to create mood boards. My board is full of my favorite athletes, quotes on quotes, workout gear, full workouts and playlists. Include anything that you know will make you feel better or more powerful or more inspired in just a glance.

Technique #3: Lighten it Up

Larger than life goals can be inspiring, but they can be overwhelming too. Nothing drains motivation like being overwhelmed. Help yourself stay motivated by simplifying your goal into smaller steps.

For example, instead of focusing on losing 50 pounds, focus on losing 10 pounds at a time. Break your long term goals down into shorter-term goals that you can accomplish in the foreseeable future. This will help you stay motivated and have something to celebrate sooner!

Technique #4: Schedule Small Rewards

Speaking of celebrating…this is one of my favorite techniques to stay motivated.

Allow yourself small rewards for accomplishing your goals. I do this by setting up space in my Passion Planner for daily goals. At the end of the week, if I’ve hit 80% of those goals, I reward myself. Sometimes that reward is as simple as a pedicure, sometimes its a bigger reward like a new pair of running shoes.

Pick some goals, and pick a reward ahead of time. That way you have something to look forward to and you’re not left deciding “what you deserve” when you’ve earned it!

Technique #5: Positive Affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements that help you overcome self-sabotaging thoughts (and lack of motivation). They aren’t complicated. In fact, they should be simple enough that you don’t feel pressured to memorize them, they simply feel fitting in the moment.

Affirmations are a quick way to change your mindset and convince yourself that you can stay motivated simply by reminding yourself you are worth it.

Keep it simple, but powerful. I’m worth it. I can do this. I define my own boundaries. I am in control. Even if you don’t believe it at first, over time what you tell yourself become your reality.

Technique #6: Do it First

Okay so this last technique is less about staying motivated and more about not requiring motivation.

Prioritize your goals. Need to hit the gym today? Do it first. Want to have a veg-head dinner tonight? Make it ahead of time.

If you leave it up to “when I want to”, you will miss a whole lot of opportunities. Do it first. Take maybe out of the equation.