Keep up the Motivation!

Has anyone else been struggling with motivation lately? I think it's a common trend for this time of year. Being Canadian, I didn't just have Thanksgiving weekend, but it is cold here - especially at 5am when I leave for the gym!
I had a couple weeks that I was really struggling to want to go to the gym, so I thought I'd write a post about some tips for keeping it up!

1. If you need a break, TAKE ONE! If you've really lost motivation, you may be burning out and actually need the time away from the gym.  

2. Pick a workout program and stick to it. I'm on Week 4 of James Wilson's Body Earned and having the program to tell me when I need to workout is really helpful. I don't want to fall behind, so I go!

3. Try something new! Maybe you're just in a rut with your workouts and need to mix it up!

4. Set a goal or a task. This always gets me going (like my 23 mile challenge)! A lot of popular Instagrammers (is that a word?) post goals or tasks for the month, pick one and join! @ilikemyfitnesstaylored has one going on that I've been keeping my eye on. 

5. Go with a friend, or choose an accountability buddy!

6. Write down your schedule. I wrote down my workouts for the month in my planner - having it written down is like a commitment to yourself. 

7. Remember why you workout. You may be wearing more clothes now that it's winter, but you don't need to turn off your healthy lifestyle!

I hope these tips help a bit! In the end though, there's no sense beating yourself up over skipping a few workouts, life happens! And it's very hard to get to the gym when there are cookies to bake, trees to decorate and Christmas specials to watch. Speaking of cookies, another tip - treat yourself! Especially with Christmas treats, and even moreso if they're healthy! Like my chocolate muffins :)

I also wanted to share this, just for fun :)

Who makes everything better in your life?
How do you motivate yourself during the winter?