‘Tis the season of indulgent drinks, family-sized feasts and tasty baked goods, and fitness tends to take a backseat. During the cold winter months it’s easy to fall out of a healthy routine, as the temptation of staying indoors and treating yourself outweighs the effort of heading outside for a healthy activity.
But that’s okay! New Year’s resolutions come at the perfect time to help turn things around after the holidays. If one of your goals this year is to get in better shape, then a workout journal may be the perfect companion to keep you motivated.
Keep Daily Tabs on Your Goals
Writing out your intention for each workout, weigh-in or healthy meal forces you to acknowledge that goal. With your resolution staring back at you from your journal, it’s that much harder to avoid it and indulge.
Track Temptations
If you feel like you’re working out but not seeing any results, writing down your meals and activities – and feelings about both – can highlight trigger points for missteps. You may notice that the small snacks you have at your weekly department meeting are adding up more than you imagined! After all, the workout is only one part of the journey – how is the rest of your life lining up with your fitness goals?
It Can Be Fun!
A workout journal doesn’t have to be just sets, reps and weights. Take notes of funny anecdotes and helpful tips from your trainer, or sketch out your favourite athletic outfits, and an engaging picture of your fitness routine will emerge.
It’s Not Just Surface Details
Going even deeper, an important part of a workout journal is writing about how you feel – not just what you do. After all, you are putting in all this effort to feel a certain way, right? Keeping track of how you’re feeling can help you see the ups and downs, and pinpoint which workouts and lifestyle changes are truly helping you achieve your goal.
Take Fitness Into Your Hands
Don’t be a passive observer of your health. Writing out your intentions using powerful words can help you take control of your fitness journey. Beginning each day with a strong statement like “Today I will run 10 minutes on the treadmill” puts you in the mindset to achieve your goals before you even hit the gym.
Celebrate the Milestones
And the most important part… celebrating your accomplishments! Writing down the dates you hit your goals helps you relive that achievement, and serves as a written reminder even on the hard days that you are making progress.
How does journalling help you accomplish your goals?
About Paperblanks: 25 years ago, we created Paperblanks to help keep book heritage alive and vital in our modern age, and to offer an inspiring space for people to express themselves. Thanks for joining us on this journey! For more about Paperblanks, go to our website at paperblanks.com.
