There can be a lot of pressure to make lifestyle changes and resolutions in the New Year and these resolutions can sometimes end up making us feel worse about ourselves, rather than better. But if you flip your mindset and set yourself realistic, achievable goals with an enjoyable and empowering journey, you could find yourself feeling more fired up, passionate and motivated than ever. Here are 5 ways to keep motivation levels high this New Year so that you can breeze past National Quitters Day on January 17th and achieve things you never thought possible. 

1.   Enjoy the process

Sometimes when we’re setting goals and resolutions, we get so caught up focusing on the end point that we forget about how we’re going to get there. If you’re primarily a runner, it’s no good setting yourself the goal of completing a full Ironman triathlon if you hate swimming and cycling, because you’ll be spending months doing a lot of both! Remember to focus on the process, which is what you’ll be spending most of your time doing, and that the end goal really is just a bonus.

2.   Get an event booked in

Having a tangible goal to work towards will help keep you motivated and focused throughout the long training process. What’s even better is having an event in the diary which excites you and that you can look forward to. For runners, a marathon abroad is one of the best and most exciting races you can do and will definitely help to keep the flame ignited through some of the tougher training sessions. Imagine crossing that finish line in New York City or running past the Eiffel Tower in Paris. For cyclists, a ride somewhere iconic or even a Gran Fondo could be what gets you out of bed on those dark winter mornings for cold training rides.

3.    Make your goal to add, not to subtract

When we add new experiences to our lives, we feel satisfied and content. When we deprive ourselves of things, we are more likely to feel unhappy and unfulfilled. This mindset should be applied to your goals and resolutions - make sure your goal encourages you to add activities and experiences into your life rather than depriving yourself of them. Rather than giving up an entire food group or daily activity, instead aim to introduce new ones into your lifestyle such as trying new foods and taking on new challenges. This way you will be far more likely to stay motivated and happy throughout the process and therefore more likely to achieve your goals.

4.   Be realistic

You are far more likely to stay motivated and achieve your goals if you are realistic about them. That’s not to say you can't set big goals - these can always be broken down into micro-goals along the way - but if it’s something you can’t achieve in the set time or you are putting too much pressure on yourself, you are far more likely to quit. Make sure your goal plays to the strengths you already have and is something that makes sense to you personally.

5.   Set micro-goals

As mentioned before, breaking a big goal into smaller micro-goals is an excellent way to make sure it’s achievable. Setting a huge goal can be both exciting and daunting, but you’ll be even more satisfied and proud of yourself once you achieve it. Setting yourself smaller micro-goals can provide you with ‘wins’ along the way which will boost your motivation and keep the momentum going, especially when you feel like you’ve plateaued or are having doubts about your goal.

At Destination Sport Experiences, our team has been there, done that, and got the t-shirt (literally!) We know how stressful it can be trying to organise a race abroad, which is why we’re so passionate about helping runners, cyclists and triathletes take out the stress and focus on what’s most important - the race! We organise all your travel, guarantee your race place, and even organise social activities to make your trip completely unforgettable.

So why not book in your bucket list race to really keep motivation levels high and make this year one to remember?