What is it about January 1st that sends everyone into panic mode?!

It's almost as bad as February 1st (which happens to be my birthday, woo!), when everyone gets so down on themselves for not sticking to their fitness goals and intentions. Luckily I don't have the type of personality that gets caught up and fixated on this kinda stuff. But for others, it's not that simple. Not sticking to a goal does not automatically make you a failure.

Sometimes, it's simply just not the right goal for you at the time. I put together 10 tips to help get you out of that negative mindset once and for all. I hope these help you reach your goal (fitness related or not), or at least form better habits to help stop the cycle.

1- Start again on a positive note. Don't hold your focus on how last month didn't go "as planned", and where you "messed up". There's no way you can start fresh with your journey, if all of your attention is directed to failure and negativity. Really envision yourself obtaining your goal, and let that emotion attach itself to you throughout the process.

2- Start small. By setting your intention for 24 hours, 2 weeks or a month (rather than planning the entire year ahead), you allow yourself more room for celebratory moments to fuel your journey. Experts say it takes 21 days for a habit to form, so practice patience to avoid unwanted disappointment. You'll be better able to evaluate your progress & struggles, and see where the problem may lay. You will also be much more able to honestly review yourself, and maybe set a more realistic goal.

3- Physically write out your weeks schedule. By sitting down with your calendar and making a visual commitment, you are setting a positive intention to your goal. Whether it's time for a fitness class, a walk with a friend, a trip to the farmers market, or a day to meal prep.. you will feed off of the satisfaction from crossing it off on your "to-do" list.

4- Make your goal public. Give yourself accountability by sharing your intentions with friends, family, coaches, trainers, or online communities. The more people you have supporting & checking-in on you, the easier it is to stay on track. Making a gym buddy is also a great way to keep in check, by motivating each-other. You'll feel more responsibility to your commitment, if you were to break a gym date.

5- Loose your attachment to "the first". It's just a number! Yeah, yeah, it's a great day to start a goal.. but is it really any different than the 11th or the 22nd?! Start when it's right for YOU. The fact that you are even attempting to make a change, is a step in the right direction. Just flow with it.

6- Track yourself. Keep a timeline of your journey by making a habit of journaling your day, or checking in on a fitness app that everyone can see. You'll feel empowered to look back on day one, and see how far you have come.

7- Reward yourself with success tools. Celebrate every small success with a positive reward, that doesn't contradict your goal. Say maybe you complete 4 mini goals, set a bigger reward for the 5th to make it special. You do deserve that yoga block, that pilates roller, that fitness tracker, that juicer, and oh yeah.. you deserve that vitamix.

8- Surround yourself with inspiration. Make time to watch inspiring documentaries, movies, read quotes, listen to uplifting music, anything that will fuel you to continue on. Maybe it's a family member or person that is your source of inspiration, be sure to keep their photo close as a reminder. Making yourself a dream map is also a great tool. View it daily while setting your intentions, and really see your dreams coming true.

9- Make time to reflect. Celebrate everyday, & every step with gratitude. Even a short pause to say thank you is good place to to start. The more appreciation you give back to your journey, the more you will get out of it.

10- Try, try, try again. Sometimes it's just not as easy as you think it will be. Hey, life happens. If you've fallen off track, don't give up. Evaluate the pros and cons of your last attempt, and see where you can make a subtle change toward success. Remember, there is no deadline.. only divine time!

It's all about finding what works for you!
Sometimes it's as simple a having a go-to backup plan to avoid self-sabotage.
I'm the meal-prepping-salade-in-a-jar-for-lunch kinda gal personally.

Peace, Love, & Green Juice,
xo leleloveleigh

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