Making a lifestyle change is hard. It seems like we’re already busy enough with life as we know it, and then we have to change things up to make our health a priority. It takes a lot of planning and getting organized to make positive changes for the long term. Here are some ideas to help you stay motivated and focused on your health and fitness goals.

Define your Goals

One of the biggest hurdles to achieving goals is making them too unrealistic. Sure, it’s great to reach for the stars. But how will you get there? Make SMART goals. What are SMART goals you ask? Why, they’re only the best way to stay motivated!

SMART Goals Are:

Specific - instead of saying “I want to be healthier”, dig deeper. Be specific. Try “I want to learn yoga” or “I want to drink an adequate amount of water every day”. Specifying what you really want will help make it clear how to get there.

Measureable - make a goal that you can track. Using the water example above: “I want to drink 80 oz of water every day”. You can literally measure out that water every day to determine if you are on the right track.

Actionable - can you actually DO SOMETHING to achieve your goal? Using the yoga example, you can learn yoga by taking a class or watching a video.

Relevant - does it really matter? That sounds harsh, but let me use one of my own desires as an example here. I would love to fit into a size 6 again. But does that really matter to my health? No. But doing things like taking up running and starting a weightlifting routine might help me fit into that size 6 one day. So I have reframed my goal to “register for and run a half marathon”. Will my jeans size make me healthier? No. But running will.

Time-Bound - Have you heard the saying “A goal is a dream with a deadline”? Napoleon Hill said that (worth Googling if you are into reading about success and positive thinking). Give yourself a deadline. If you don’t have a due date, how long will you continue? A deadline will help you stay motivated.

Track goals in your planner

There are so many ways to track your goals in your planner. I love using functional stickers and stamps that I can fill in with my progress. This keeps me so motivated!

In my Layout C weekly planner, I use one of the rows just to plan out fitness routine. I usually lift weights on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and run on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I have been playing with some stickers to keep track of everything I do.

You can track water intake with the water droplet stamp from the Limelife Sticker Stamps Set #1. I like to ink it up, then stamp it once on scratch paper, then stamp it in my planner so that I get a “ghosted” image that I can then color in as I drink my water. One droplet = one glass of water!

Another way to track your progress is to log your food intake. Many people already make notes about their dinner menus in their planner already. Take it a step further and plan out all of your daily meals ahead of time to stick to your nutrition plan. The Limelife Little Bit of Everything Stamp Set includes the most adorable fork and spoon stamp that is sure to make this task more enjoyable.

Have you seen the Limelife Fitness Add-On? It’s got everything you need to help you track your progress and reach your goals. You can add it to your planner or a notebook. I’m going to order a pretty notebook to journal about my fitness journey and add the Fitness Add-On to it. The lined pages of the notebook will be perfect for documenting my progress for weightlifting and running.

Don’t be shy

Health can be a touchy subject. Everyone has different ideas about what is healthy. It can also be nerve wracking to make it publicly known that you want to lose weight, or that you need to develop better habits. But connecting with other people helps to keep you interested, motivated, and focused. Having a support system is helpful for those times when you feel frustrated or discouraged. And it also comes in handy when it’s time to celebrate those goals you’ve achieved. You can go big or keep it intimate. Some people start blogs or Instagram accounts to chronicle their health and fitness journey. Others just text a friend when they need to borrow some will power. So grab a friend or two or a hundred social media followers. Share your journey and keep the motivation coming. You never know who you’ll inspire with your story.

How do you stay focused on your health and fitness goals?

This post was written by Kristan Kremer for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Kristan visit her on Instagram @kristankremer. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.