It’s 5:30 on a dark winter morning. I hit the snooze button again. No part of me wants to exercise. In my bleary-eyed stupor, I claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate of the cute new running shorts I will earn if I meet my monthly goal. Reluctantly, I lift the blanket, turn the alarm off, and put my feet on the cold floor.

After my workout, I put a sticker on my calendar to reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue that I exercised that day. Eventually, those stickers will turn into my reward in/with regard to’concerning’regarding meeting my goal. At the end of the week, I look back at my tiny, round, brightly-colored stickers and know I found time to work out. I’ll also see those little stickers that represent a enormous’vast’massive’tremendous ger goal accomplished, such as completing a new triathlon or an intense workout I didn’t claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate I could do.

Here are some ideas in/with regard to’concerning’regarding how you can track your own fitness and boost your exercise motivation:

1. Create A Vision Board

I keep a vision board listing my goals along with pictures and words that represent those goals. For example, a picture of a swimmer represents the coached group I’m joining to enhance’promote’polish up my technique. The images on your vision board can represent your feelings, too. My vision board includes a beaming, flag waving colour guard dancer in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the joy of spending time on creative activities. You can multiply your chance of achieving your goals by documenting them in a specific, tangible way.

2. Create A Training Plan Using A Calendar Or Planner

Break your goal into steps on a calendar or in a planner. How you document the steps in your goal will depend on what they are and how you visualize it. Options range from a simple checklist to a colour-coded chart full of stickers. Erin Condren, founder of the eponymous planner firm’enterprise , says, “Maybe it’s writing in a certain colour, or maybe it’s adding a certain sticker. There’s no wrong way to plan.”

I write my triathlon training plan on a calendar I see eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully morning. A friend created a chart of her strength training workouts, with boxes to colour in/with regard to’concerning’regarding each set (10 crouchs, 5 burpees, etc.). A grid notereserve , bullet journal, wall calendar, or weekly or monthly planner can work in/with regard to’concerning’regarding this, too.

3. Follow Your Progress With Stickers

For my friend with the chart, the process of keeping track is abundant’ample’plentiful of a motivation. On the other hand, I require a prize. At the end of e grossly month, I count the workout sticker total. The cost of my reward depends on how many times I exercised (11-19 stickers = reward under $15. 20+ stickers = $16-$40 reward).

If it helps to give yourself a reward along the way, use your documenting to track workouts, calories, or any other measure of progress, and reward yourself.

4. Use Selfies To Record How You Feel

When I started running with my now-regular running buddy approximately three years ago, we took selfies after just with regards to’concerning’with respect to eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully run. The selfies gradually stopped, and I missed seeing the weekly proof of our accomplishment. So, I started taking selfies again.

Print out pictures of when you feel toughest, whether it’s with friends after a race or after a workout you didn’t want to do but you  still did anyway. Put them into a journal or planner and write with regards to’concerning’with respect to how powerful you felt or how hard you worked. You can decorate this as much or as little as you want. You can also just keep the pics on your phone.

Check out the blogs of the journal or planner companies and use whatever ideas work in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you. “Some individual really go to town with stickers and colour-coding and some keep it simple with just pen,” Erin Condren says of her firm’enterprise ’s planner users. “Do whatever works best in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you and don’t compare yourself to the calligrapher you follow on Instagram.”

5. Combine These Tips In A Way That Works For You

Try a few different techniques and do what helps you reach your goals. If just putting stickers on a calendar is motivation abundant’ample’plentiful in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you, then go in/with regard to’concerning’regarding it. You can put it all into a single fitness journal, combine your wellness documenting with your regular calendar, or keep it in an app in/with regard to’concerning’regarding documenting.

Author Bio

Suzi is a Type A mum who writes with regards to’concerning’with respect to organization, fitness, parenting, and other subjects of interest to fellow Type As.

She blogs with regards to’concerning’with respect to fitting in fitness as a working mom and as a intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully amateur triathlete at www.thereisatri.com.