"The 4 Secrets for Staying Motivated"

by Frederic Patenaude

One of the biggest problems most people face is keeping the motivation to stick with any diet or exercise program, or other positive habit. It could be one of several things, such as:

- Staying on the diet you know is best for you.
- Giving your body the daily exercise it needs.
- Improving your exercise routine by adding new elements to it.
- Getting enough sleep.
- Staying organized and focused.
- Completing projects.
- Applying the information you've paid to learn!

I've found over the years that while reading a book or going to a seminar might give you a quick boost of inspiration, it's usually not enough to do the necessary steps day after day to REALLY get the results that you desire.

It's one thing to KNOW what to do, but it's another thing to actually DO it!

So here are some important “secrets” for staying motivated, no matter what you try to accomplish.

#1: Set Your Intentions

You need to set specific intentions (or goals) that will help you get where you want to go.

For example, just saying that you want to “get in shape” will only get you so far. You want to have specific, measurable steps that will help you get there, such as:

- Do at least 10 minutes of cardio every day.
- Go to a yoga class once a week
- Go to the gym at least twice a week

By taking each of your big goals (getting in shape, eating a raw-food diet or eating well, etc.) and breaking them down into specific intentions that are ACTIONS you can take either once or on an ongoing basis, you will have a great plan to help you succeed. You also need to write them down.

#2: Make Your Intentions Achievable

The problem most people make when they set their intentions is they make them too difficult to achieve! They say, “I'm gonna run everyday for 30 minutes” when they haven't been doing it for months!

Here's an important piece of wisdom: “Goals that are set too high are invitations for making excuses.”

Make your intentions small and achievable at first. Once you've succeeded, then add to them or revise them. Don't set yourself up for failure by making your intentions too big at first.

#3: Get a Success Buddy

Ok, you may have a clear idea of what you need to do. You may have even written down your intentions as I described above. But when YOU are the only source of motivation, what may happen is that you won't take it seriously enough and won't FOLLOW THROUGH.

So the next secret is you need to be accountable to somebody for following through on your intentions. You need a “success buddy,” or a coach, or both!

A success buddy is a person with whom you share your intentions and who shares his or her intentions with you. That way you are accountable to somebody. Your success buddy can be your best friend, your spouse, or just an Internet buddy. But what's important is that you check with her on a regular basis.

In your meetings, either in person, by phone or by e-mail, you'll check in with each other to find out how you followed through with your intentions, and what you intend to do to improve before your next meeting.

This concept may be new to you, but I guarantee it is highly effective. All it takes is asking somebody, “Would you be interested in helping each other follow through with our commitments?”

#4: Get Ongoing Support

You may be reading this article thinking to yourself, “Wow, this makes a lot of sense,” and then do nothing about it. Why? You need more support. You need ongoing support.

The best athletes in the world have coaches. The best artists in the world have teachers. Even the best trainers in the world have their own trainers.

Even if you're not a top-athlete, you also need ongoing support. There are several sources of support available, such as:

- Coaching programs, or life coaches.
- E-Zines and publications such as Pure Health & Nutrition.
- Live seminars or teleseminars.
- Internet forums.
- Online programs that offer support.

The beauty of coaching is that your coach will not only help you succeed with your goals and intentions, but will also help you *celebrate* all the progress you've made already, which we often tend to forget!

Whenever you can, get the support you need to help you succeed, in your health or in your life. You will be surprised by how far you can go.

Want to Use This Article In Your Website or E-Zine? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: “Frederic Patenaude, is the author of the best-selling e-book "The Raw Secrets". He is currently giving away free access to his private library of over 100 exclusive articles along with a subscription to his newsletter Pure Health & Nutrition. Visit http://www.fredericpatenaude.com while charter subscriptions last.”