Stay Strong

Welcome to the end of Week 1! You did it. You hung in there for 7 whole days. You've so got this. You may have had a few slips, but hey, you're human. A slip doesn't equate to a failure. Just reset your resolve and carry on. So what if your checklist isn't filled with perfect little checkmarks? You still have three more weeks of checkboxes to fill! And we all know you can do it. From here, it's important to keep motivation and resolve strong. Here's a reminder of the suggestions from last week's newsletter to help you stay on track.

Quick and Dirty Tips to Stay Motivated

• Tell someone! If you're not feeling up to meeting your challenge today, the best thing you can do is tell one of us. That's why we're here. For support. For encouragement. For some serious butt-kicking. 

• Make a checklist. You'd be surprised how satisfying a checkmark (or an entire row of checkmarks) can be! Maybe you prefer gold stars. Invest in some stickers or coloured markers, make a creative checklist and start checking away! Customize the attached template or create your own. Display it with pride, somewhere that's in your face so you can see it every day. 

• Log your progress. Write down how you're feeling about your challenges—not a full-blown “Dear Diary” journal entry, just point-form notes. It doesn't have to be every day. Logging your progress will help you realize the gains you're making and you'll be able to look back on your log at the end of the month and reflect on your journey. Buy a small notebook to keep in your pocket/purse or save a Word document on your desktop. Add to it on a regular basis. You'll be glad you did. 

• Be accountable. Tell your friends, your spouse, your kids, your mother, your brother (whomever!) what you're doing and what you want to achieve. Tell them to ask you about your progress on a regular basis, which they'll probably want to do anyway. I'm sure you'll find that you're excited to talk about your challenges and that you're proud of the progress you're making. And your friends/spouse/ kids/mother/brother will be proud of you too! 

• Be proud, comrade! You're doing something amazing! You're an inspiration to others! You're changing your life! Remind yourself of that. 

How do you stay motivated? What works for you? Post your suggestions in the comments.