5 Secrets to Getting Back on Track

This saying makes me laugh! Don't you wish that was possible? The holidays can be so difficult! I always have the best of intentions, but sometimes it doesn't always go as planned.
I think the key to success is learning to get back on track after life happens. This is something that has always been so hard for me. I do will great for a while and am fully on track - then I stumble on one stair and end up throwing myself down the whole flight. Can you relate? 

Here are five "secrets" that I find helpful for getting myself back on track.
1. Don't beat yourself up! What's done is done. It's so easy to feel down about the damage you've done and keep spiraling downward. You ate your body weight in holiday cookies - forget it and move on! Remember that it isn't all or nothing. Just because you messed up at lunch doesn't mean you have to do bad at dinner.
2. Motivate yourself. Post inspirational quotes around your house - on your refrigerator, in the pantry, in your closet! Hang an outfit in your closet that you wish would fit again. Reward yourself. Give yourself prizes for every 5-10lbs you lose. Move marbles from one jar to another for the weight that you lose. Get a FitBit! Make sure exercise is fun - Zumba is a blast. Find what motivates you. 
3. Set realistic and achievable goals. Biting off more than you can chew can just be discouraging, so make sure your goals are challenging - but achievable! {I set weight loss goals for 5 pounds at a time. If you aren't working out at all - maybe you goal should be 2-3 times a week consistently.}  Make sure you write your goals down and post them somewhere that you will see them often. There's just something about putting them in writing that makes them feel official! 
4. Plan, plan, plan! So you have your goals - now what are you going to do to achieve them? I know that if I leave my food and exercise to chance - it won't be good. If I have a workout calendar and a weekly menu - I am more likely to stick to it. Set workout appointments with yourself! Use Sunday to meal prep for the week - anything to make it easier on yourself! 
5. Find accountability. There is just something about knowing that a friend is watching you or depending on you to show up to the gym that makes you stick to it. Find someone who will hold you accountable to your goals and will encourage you along the way.
Here are some of my goals for the next month! I will reevaluate in February. 

What goals have you set for yourself??