January seems set up to make life easy for your fitness goals. Dry January takes care of your alcohol intake, Veganuary gets more veg in your diet, and everyone’s too broke to go out partying. But February might not be such plain sailing, unless you put plans in place now to keep your fitness motivation fired up.

Routine, not just habits

Did you know that building a consistent routine is actually more effective than creating new habits? Allow us to explain. Both things are regular, repeated actions that will help you get to your goal. But whilst habits just happen (without much conscious effort on your part), routines need intentional focus.

 So forget all the advice about habits being absolutely key to a new fitness routine. What you should be focusing on are the decisions you make that become your daily routine. In time, these things will become habits…but they have to become routine first.

The power of partnership

Want to know the key difference between people who stick with their fitness habits and those who fall off the wagon? It’s accountability. This doesn’t have to be hard work. It could be as one good friend who’s an enthusiastic part of your journey.

Think of a friend who would like to work out with you. Then ask them if they will help hold you accountable to all your other sessions, too. This way, they don’t have to join you for 100% of your workouts. You could message them on a Sunday with your week’s training plans, then check in with them when you’ve done it. If they don’t hear from you, ask them to chase you up.

Enjoy the journey

It’s easy to get caught up in dreaming about your ultimate fitness goal. But research tells us we have a higher chance of success if we focus on every step along the way. This is called growth focus (instead of goal focus).

Experts say that by focusing on the process, not only are you less likely to give up but you will appreciate the learning points along the way. One paper, published in 2019, even says that viewing your goal as a journey means you’ll be more likely to continue the positive behaviours you built. 

Everybodys Gym Team