Celebrate little steps.

It feels great to break out the champagne after you’ve met your 6-month goal. But it’s the smaller, more frequent rewards that help you stay focused. "Small celebrations along the way make it easier to reflect on [your progress] when you feel you're not succeeding," says Mary Jayne Johnson, Ph.D., exercise physiologist and certified spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

A reward doesn't have to be huge to inspire motivation, Johnson says. "It could be as small as a note in your journal that you’ve attained another step."

Read the full LifeScript.com article here or download a pdf version here.