Most of us have something we would like to change about ourselves, or have been told we need to change. Change is hard. I think for the most part, we have good intentions when we decide to make a change. We start out motivated and determined. 
Some people follow through and make the changes needed, while others don’t quite make it to the finish line. Why is that? Why doesn’t everyone who commits to making a change, stay dedicated until reaching the set goal? There is no quick answer, but I do have some insight that may help you to avoid the pitfalls faced when trying to stay motivated.
Monitor your thoughts. Distorted thinking is often caused when trying to commit to too much, or having failed at making change in the past. All-or-nothing thinking is a common type of distorted thinking that hinders change. An all-or-nothing mindset causes disruption in the path to change when something does not go as planned. Instead of accepting that obstacles may slow down the process, the all-or-nothing thinker sees failure.
et realistic and attainable goals. To say you are going to lose five pounds a week, may be unrealistic. The first week you miss your goal may cause you to doubt yourself and lead you to justify eating whatever you want. Avoid setting unrealistic goals. Instead, set a goal that is challenging, but attainable. For example, cutting out late night snacks and sugary drinks for one week is less overwhelming than never eating sugar or carbs again.
Use your resources. You’ve made a goal to quit smoking, good. In an ideal world that would mean you throw away your cigarettes and don’t buy more. Unfortunately, quitting smoking can be challenging. Thankfully, there are multiple smartphone applications and online and community resources at your disposal. Use them. Call on friends or family to keep you accountable and to provide support. The Tobacco Free Florida website offers tools that can help you reach your goal.
Make a commitment. You must commit to making the change, if you want the change to happen. Some people create a visual aid to display steps they will take to reach a goal. Others will post on social media or tell someone their plans to be held accountable for following through with the change. Be creative, but more importantly, make that commitment.
Identify what stage of change you are in.
- Are several people telling you to make a change, but you disagree? You could be in the pre-
contemplation stage where you are unaware of the problem (ask for evidence to support the
claims). - Maybe you are aware you need to make a change and know what you need to do to change. If
so, you are in the contemplation stage (identify barriers and review reasons for and
against change). - If you intend on taking action to make a change, then you are in the preparation stage (set
realistic and attainable goals and utilize resources). - Moving from intention to make a change, to practicing new behaviors means you are in the
action stage (anticipate obstacles). - Now that your behavior has become routine, you are in the maintenance stage (reward
yourself, anticipate obstacles).
Stay motivated. If this were easy, you would not be reading this article. I have no great secret to share on how to stay motivated. My suggestion is to consider from the beginning that staying motivated may be a problem. Remember why you started this journey. Reward yourself for small successes and have a large reward for reaching your ultimate goal. Have a competition with others who have a similar goal and find nonjudgmental support for days you feel like giving up.
Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are –Theodore Roosevelt
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