How do you stay motivated?

Once upon a time when I had more time, I would re-read fitness magazines. Read articles about people who had succeeded in reaching their weight loss/fitness goals and just read about working out and ideas for an interesting, healthy diet.

Well, I don't have the same time to sit and read the way I did back in the day. I got the idea oh, so very many moons ago, to start a notebook of the things that excited and motivated me. To jot down my meals and my workouts (if I needed to) and just to have a book full of positive stuff. I got this idea at least a decade ago but first I didn't really need the book, and later I just didn't do it.

Until now. I always knew I just wanted a simple composition book. You know, the ones you used in elementary school. I'd have plenty of room to write big and neat and no worries about pages falling out. I could staple articles (folded in half) to the back side of pages and paste in pictures if I wanted.

I love my notebook. I already had a couple at home (3 kids in elementary school - always have school supplies @ the house, LOL) so I picked out a red marble notebook on Monday and started using it. I started by putting my weight in there, my measurements (haven't taken those in a while, not cool!) and a list of my goals for the month.

I wrote down my meals as I ate them (to be added to my tracker when I'm done here) and the articles I'd printed from Sparks that were floating around my backpack.

Did I say I love my notebook?

All I need to do is look in there and remember what the 'point' is this month, what I want to accomplish and I can see at a glance, without having to be at my computer, what's going on. And I carry my book with me everywhere.

I love my notebook. I'm looking forward to filling it up with all my good works!

What do you do to keep yourself motivated when you're out and about? I've thought about (just this minute thought of it) adding tasks to my phone to pop up a couple of times a day which will simply be reminders to keep me on point like, make nutritious food choices, watch the fat! Stuff like that. A reminder in mid-afternoon to be sure to finish any workout that may not have been finished in the morning.

I want to succeed and I'm going to do whatever I have to do (short of drugs, I'm not suicidal) to make it happen. How hard can it be to remind myself to take care of myself and live a long, healthy, productive and happy life? It's worth this little bit of effort, right?