When you first start a new eating plan or exercise programme you feel motivated and ready to go for it. It’s something new to get your teeth stuck into and you feel really committed.
What sometimes happens though is that a couple of weeks later life interferes and a bad day at work or a disagreement with your partner can get in the way of your best intentions. Since you’ve already been ‘good’ for a couple of weeks and have started to feel better and not so desperate to make a change, you lose your original enthusiasm and motivation.
So, what can you do to avoid slipping back into your old behaviours?
Before you start a new eating plan or exercise programme write down your goals. Write them using positive language and in the present tense as if you’ve already achieved them. For example if you’re currently a size 16 and you want to be an energetic size 12 for the autumn, “I love having enough energy to go for long autumnal walks in my favourite size 12 jeans”.
The reason for writing goals in positive language and in the present tense is to help your mind believe you have already achieved these things and therefore you will to start to act and make decisions as if you are already there.
Aim to spend a couple of minutes every day re-writing your goals down – best time is in the morning but whenever you can fit them in is fine. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same thing you write down each morning. You’re just helping your mind to start focusing on what you want, rather than what you don’t.
When you believe you can achieve!
