Whenever a person makes a change, the enthusiasm for changing may over time be difficult to maintain. It may be necessary to do some planning up front to help maintain the desire to change, to continue to fan the flame so to speak.
A lot of people have told me they want to see their child graduate from high school. They might want to play with their children at the playground. One man shared that he wanted to stay with his healthier way of eating because he wanted to continue to enjoy quality time with his wife and his family. That since he had been diagnosed with diabetes that to have those special times for a long time was very important to him.
Write those motivations down in a notebook. Post them on your refrigerator after you written them down. Keep a picture of the people that have inspired you in your wallet or in a scrapbook that I might have you title my motivators.
Write down inspiring sayings in your notebook. Write them on a postcard and put them on your bathroom mirror. For me Helen Keller, and the way she lived her life is very inspiring. Do a google search online and find her quotes or someone else that you admire that you can use to motivate and to continue to inspire yourself. For instance, one of her quotes "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble."
Write down how things are changing for the better because of the change you have made. Perhaps you have lost five pounds and you can walk around the block now without feeling short of breath. Your clothes are fitting more loosely. You can play with your children in the park.
Make a list of why you made the healthy change. Better blood glucose control, lower cholesterol, feel better, be able to go dancing, improve the quality of life and enjoy the sunsets and sunrises. These can be the things that keep you pressing toward the bigger goal of lowering your A1C, of losing the last five pounds, of improving your physical fitness.
Using lab data and blood pressure readings as ways to motivate can be helpful. If you have an issue with high blood pressure and have begun to limit salt, monitor your blood pressure every day to see how the change has made an impact. Did it make a difference? If you want to see your A1C in the target range, monitoring your blood glucose can give you an idea of how your number will look when you go to the doctor to have this checked.
Your motivation level can change, but having a plan and a tool kit can help you stay energized to stay the course with whatever health change you have chose.
I wish you great success on your motivation journey.
Juanita
