Stay Accountable and Stay on Track With These Fail-Proof Strategies

Breaking up is hard to do -- especially when you're breaking up with an inactive lifestyle. As Einstein astutely pointed out, it takes energy to make energy, so when you've spent a lot of time sitting on a couch or in front of a computer, it can take a considerable shove to spur you into action.

That's the hard part.

Once you get moving, it's much, much easier to keep going. You have momentum, after all.

Of course, anyone who's ever successfully started the journey toward a healthier lifestyle will tell you that even with good momentum, you can lose balance and fall off track. It happens, just don't give up!

Here are 3 incredible strategies to keep you crushing your goals, and living your best life.

1. Embrace the Fall

We talk a lot about staying on track. It makes sense, after all. If you want to reach a goal, you generally have to stay on a relatively straight trajectory to get there. Relatively is the operative word, however.

Falling off track is part of staying ON track. A balanced, healthy lifestyle involves careening into fist-fulls of cake now and then. It involves taking rest days, and even days where you lie in bed rewatching True Blood or binge reading a great book. There is no 'on' without 'off', so embrace going off the beaten path now and then. As long as it is the exception and not the rule, you'll still get where you want to go.

2. Invest in Yourself

It’s all well and good to say you’re going to start eating cleaner or get more exercise, but it’s another to actually do it. Research shows that people who are most successful invest in themselves. It makes sense. When you invest in yourself, that financial commitment is more likely to motivate you, and keep you grounded. Why front the money for nothing, right?

This isn’t to say that gym memberships don’t go unused, or treadmills around the world aren’t being used to hang clothes to dry, but the fact remains you’re more likely to stay accountable if you make a tangible investment in your well-being.

It doesn't have to be much. Maybe you buy some workout clothing that makes you look and feel amazing. Maybe you pick up a pair of quality dumbbells, or a yoga mat or download some badass tunes for your workout. The point is to do something that furthers your cause, ‘cause you’re worth it.

3. Find Your Tribe

People who workout with other people workout harder and stay committed to working out for longer. Same goes for eating well: you’re more likely to do it  — and stick to it — if you surround yourself with other people who are trying to do the same.

Sadly, friends and family don’t always want to clean up their acts at the same time as us, so we may have to seek out other sources of support. You can join an online forum, for instance, or find support here with our BodyRock community  — undoubtedly one of the most supportive and compassionate health and fitness communities on the net.

What do all these tips have in common? They’re easy to implement, and have nothing to do with your current level of fitness. They can benefit anyone, from a nervous beginner to a hardcore fitness junkie who’s losing steam.

Do you have tips for staying accountable and motivated? Share them below in the comments!