January 1. It’s the most popular day out of the year to start a new goal. People will wait the whole month of December for that magical day. You hit the gym and stick to your nutrition goals for a few weeks and then life happens. Before you know it, your goals that were so important to you have taken a backseat.

Many times when people talk about goals the word motivation comes up. Motivation helps us to take action to achieve our goals, but that desire often doesn’t stay. It fades as the novelty wears off. Motivation does not get you through the hard moments. That’s where discipline comes into play. It’s learning to do the things you know you need to do even when you have zero desire to do it. That’s how you meet your goals.

Here are five things that have helped me with sticking to my goals:

Set small goals along your way to a big goal. Big goals are good to have, but learn to enjoy the journey also. It’s good to have smaller goals along the way. It helps to keep you on track and focused on the end goal.
Remind yourself why you started working on your goals. When I don’t feel like exercising/eating healthy, I remind myself of how I felt when I wasn’t healthy. I don’t ever want to feel like that again, so I know what I need to do to stay healthy.
Make your goals a priority in your schedule. If you have a family and work schedule, this might mean getting up before everyone else to get things done. I’m not much of a morning person, but I’ve learned to become one. I don’t feel guilty working on my goals when the rest of my family is sleeping.
Find your tribe. Find people who will hold you accountable to your goals. You can’t rely on others for motivation, but having someone else that has similar goals in your corner can be super helpful. Share your wins and struggles with them. Find someone who won’t be afraid to be honest with you when you need to hear it the most.
Know that there is going to be failure when trying to reach your goals. There is no perfect path. What matters most is that you get right back on the path. Consistency over perfection. Get back on track right away.

As someone who has started and restarted the same goals over and over, I can tell you that it is one hundred percent worth it to stick through those tough times. There is no perfect time to start. There will always be excuses for why you should wait. There is no better feeling than wanting something and working so hard to accomplish that goal.