Maybe you’ve been there before. You resolved to lose weight or get in shape in time for summer. Full of hope, you purchased a gym membership and started working out. After hitting the gym once or twice a week for a month, you checked the mirror. And what did you see? Nothing. There was no visible progress towards achieving the summertime body you lusted for. And then it dawned on you that there would be no instant gratification. Despondence kicked in. There was no one holding you accountable, and your motivation waned. After another week or so, you gave up altogether.

That scenario plays out quite often. In fact, within 6 months, about 50% of new gym members will have completely stopped going to the gym*. They lose their will and stand pat as established habits and negative emotions reassert themselves and bury their dreams.

What happened? There were likely several things going on, but one factor may have been a lack of milestones on the way to the goal. Milestones are simply little checkpoints, and every milestone set and reached builds your confidence and resilience. Granted, you probably already know that, but are you in the habit of doing it? Whether for exercise or anything else you’re working towards, do you have a written to-do list of milestones that you keep updated?

For example, if you want to lose 6 kg in 3 months, set a milestone to lose 2 kg by the end of the first month, and then 2 more by the end of the second month. After a month, you might not see any difference when you look in the mirror, but when you weigh yourself, you’ll know that you made real progress. Achieving milestones feeds your will to persist. And when you persist, the results will gradually begin to show in the mirror. So set milestones, hit them, affirm your confidence, and don’t ever give up.

Sayonara until next time.

*Source: 51 Gym Membership Statistics: 2020/2021 Data, Trends & Predictions, comparecamp.com