How to Stay Motivated — After the New Year Enthusiasm Fades

It feels like the same story every year: The ball drops on New Year’s Eve, and everyone begins the new year eager to get started on their goals. Most of us start out strong — there is a reason that gyms are always so crowded the first week of January — but the majority of us lose steam before the month is even over.

Why is that? Why do so many people (by some accounts, as many as 80 to 90 percent) lose their enthusiasm for their New Year’s resolutions and fail to see improvement by the time the next January 1 rolls around? There have been many studies about this topic, with most experts concluding that the root cause of “resolution failure” stemming from poorly planned goals. In other words, most of us just throw out a vague declaration, like “I want to lose weight” or “I want to save money” without getting into the specifics of those goals.

The result of such poor planning, of course, is that enthusiasm tends to fade rather quickly. Instead of working toward a pre-determined end result, we end up spinning our wheels and trying to decide what to do instead of doing it. And when the results don’t happen quickly, well, it’s easy to slide back into old patterns and forget about the goal altogether.

Since waning enthusiasm is only natural, it’s important to find other ways to stay on track well into the new year. Try adding a few of these strategies to your repertoire, and experience better results.

Get Help from Others
Studies show that people who are trying to make a change — losing weight, quitting smoking, etc. — are more successful when they have a support system. Having another person who can hold you accountable, provide inspiration and support when you’re struggling, and give you some tough love when you need it the most can make the difference between success and failure.

You don’t need to rely on just your friends and family or support groups, though. Looking to authors, experts, and well-known motivational speakers can give you knowledge and inspiration that keeps you moving forward as well. Many of the exclusive speakers at Leading Authorities, for example, have experience and insights that can push your further than you thought you could go. Look for opportunities to see such people speak, follow them on social media, and learn from their wisdom to stay on your own path.

Use Imagery to Motivate You
It might sound crazy, but creating an image of where you want to be can help you stay on track. That might mean creating a “vision board” with pictures cut from magazines that represent your goals, or simply hanging a photo of your children over your desk to remind you of the reasons for your hard work. Effective resolutions require setting a specific goal, and choosing an image to represent that goal will keep you motivated.

Determine Milestones
Another common reason resolutions fail is that results aren’t always immediately apparent. In some cases, even though things are changing, they happen so subtly that they may be hard to notice. As a result, people often give up in frustration.

Therefore, setting intermediate milestones along the way to your goal can keep you motivated, especially when you reward yourself for those achievements. For example, if you are trying to lose 60 pounds, reward yourself after every 15 pounds, or after you meet your workout goals for an entire month. By recognizing your achievements, you’ll want to keep going.

Develop Contingency Plans
No one wants to think about setbacks, but they happen. Perhaps you come down with the flu and can’t get to the gym for a week or two. Or maybe your car breaks down, and you have to spend the extra cash you’ve been saving. Don’t allow these temporary setbacks to get you off track. When you set your goals, consider all of the potential barriers to your success and how you might overcome them. For example, if you have to blow your savings on a car repair, brainstorm ways that you can make a little extra cash on the side or temporarily trim expenses to replenish that account. A contingency plan takes away your excuses, and makes a setback only temporary, not fatal.

Many experts caution against setting resolutions, and instead recommend setting goals or intentions for the new year. Regardless of the name you use, maintaining enthusiasm is key to staying on track. Use the techniques that work for you, and make this year the one when you finally reach your goals.

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