But this doesn’t have to be your narrative. I lost 90lbs as a result of a New Years Resolution and have kept it off for 14 years. I’ve also coached thousands of women to find sustainable wellness solutions that work for them.

If you find yourself slipping, these 5 tips may help you re-align and find the motivation necessary to make this stick this time around!

1. Focus on Enjoying the Process


Let me let you in on a little secret - there is no end date to your wellness journey. Once you hit your goals, you’ve got to stay there. And inevitably, you’ll want to continue to do and feel better. I’m 14 years on this journey and each day I’m striving to level up in wellness. So with this in mind, it’s important to focus on enjoying the process!

So instead of setting weight loss goals, for instance, begin to set goals that identify how you’d like to feel throughout this journey.

How motivating would it be if your goals sounded like this:

“I’d love to wake up each day with abundant energy” “I’d love to enjoy running around with my kids/niece/nephew on weekends and be able to keep up” “I’d love to find joy in movement - move my body and have fun while doing it!”

These are great goals that focus on the process, rather than some end goal. Once you commit to finding joy in the process, you’re motivated to do this every day. And with a realigned focus, you’ll soon come to realize the weight loss then becomes a by-product!

2. Stop doing the MOST, Focus on being 1% better every day


Where are my overachievers at? How many of us, on January 1, commit doing the most? I mean, with the energy of the “new year, new me” movement, who wouldn’t want to try to hit the gym 7 days per week, or eliminate sugar from their diet altogether? The momentum is real, and as a result, we tend to set ourselves up for failure.

But what if we changed our thought process. What if each day, we just committed to being 1% better than yesterday. Imagine how digestible this would be? I like to equate this to the compound interest theory. Small incremental changes make a HUGE difference in the long run. What seems minuscule today, will be huge a year from now. Some examples:

If you ran/walked/cycled for 10 minutes today, tomorrow aim for 11. If you had 500ml of water today, tomorrow aim for 550ml. If you replaced 1 sugary snack from your diet today with fruit, tomorrow trade something else.

By the end of the year, you’ll get to incredible lengths and see radical change! The best part is, the transition will feel so natural and will seamlessly integrate into your life!

3. Curate your Tribe


They always say - you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. So take a look at your circle. If you are focused on your journey, but constantly surrounded by friends that want to eat all the meals, and drink all the wine - it’ll feel highly demotivating to be isolated from your group.

Instead, curate your tribe. Hang with the girls from the gym, or from your yoga class. Invite them on a morning hike, or to have a healthy lunch after your class. Create a closed Facebook community/WhatsApp group that is filled with people that want the things you want. Start to really focus on finding people who will motivate you on a day to day and in turn, you can be that person for them! External motivation will keep your motivation levels high, especially when the going gets tough.

4. Create and honor a morning routine 


We all know the importance of a morning routine - so it’s time to create one that will truly serve you on this journey. Perhaps they are focused around affirmations that motivate you to be your best self. Maybe it’s listening to a podcast that helps kick your but into gear, or reading and revisiting your goals on a day to day basis. Whatever it is, honor this time to yourself - free from distractions. Make it a ritual and inevitably it will set the tone for a motivating day!

5. Clear out your societal demotivators


We’re always focused on ways to stay motivated, but what about those common external factors that de-motivate us? For instance - what about digital comparison? How on earth am I going to stay motivated if all I see on my feeds are the beautiful, perfectly thin IG models?

It's time for an inventory check. Anyone, anything, or any page that makes you feel less than (either consciously or subconsciously) - it’s time to clear them from your world. Find motivating people, pages, accounts to follow. Filled with REAL people - unfiltered, unedited, and that motivates you and shares real success stories.

And digital demotivators aside, what books are you reading? What magazines are you subscribed to? What shows do you watch? Fill your brain and mind with positivity so you feel completely aligned and motivated daily.

It’s only February, and it’s not too late to turn things around! Let’s focus on making this stick this time, and not fall victim to those God awful statistics!

Since losing 90 pounds, 14 years ago, Tameika Gentles has devoted her time to helping others activate the inner strength and fulfillment she has found on her health journey. The Canadian-born certified personal trainer turned international wellness entrepreneur is the Co-Founder of The Whole Experience – a platform dedicated to helping women create a sustainable healthy lifestyle while building community.

Through The Whole Experience, she has reached and served over 1,300 women with her transformational coaching program, Project: YOU and has brought together almost 100 women in six countries, across four continents through her global retreats.

As an advocate for inner and outer fitness, Tameika has been featured in Essence Magazine, HuffPost, Health Magazine, Eat Well, Muscle & Fitness and Yahoo! News. Follow Tameika on Instagram @TameikaG