Shifting Your Focus: Celebrating Progress Along the Way
We all have weeks when things feel tough: whether it's due to unexpected events, a busy schedule, or simply feeling off. During these times, sticking to health and weight loss goals can seem like an uphill battle. It’s easy to focus on what went wrong and overlook the progress you’ve made. However, failing to acknowledge your achievements can make it more difficult to establish lasting habits. This resource is here to help you reflect on your progress and celebrate your wins. Shifting your focus to these successes (no matter how big or small) will boost your motivation, increase your sense of accomplishment, and set you on the path to building lasting habits and bringing you closer to your vision.
Let’s Walk Through This Together!
Step 1: Recognize the Challenge(s)
Take a moment to reflect on what felt particularly challenging this past week. Was it your eating habits? Food choices? Social events? Stress? Jot down anything that made it tough to stay on track.
Step 2: Revisit Your Successes
Now, let’s pause and shift focus. Was the entire week challenging? More than likely, alongside those challenges, there were also moments where you made choices that align with your goals. Sometimes, these wins are easy to overlook, so here are some questions to help guide your reflection:
- Were there any situations where you made a choice you’re proud of?
- Did you practice any healthy habits that made you feel good, whether related to food, movement, or mindset? For example recording a meal or snack, going for a walk with a coworker at lunch, or maybe making a plan for a meal at a restaurant.
- Were there times when you stuck to your planned meal or snack?
- Did you turn down an option that didn’t align with your goals in favor of something that did?
Step 3: Give Yourself Credit
We form new habits when we feel good! That’s why it’s so important to recognize and celebrate every win, giving ourselves credit when credit is due. By acknowledging our efforts, we not only enhance motivation but also build confidence in our ability to create lasting change, every step we take brings us closer to our vision!
How does this work?! When we give ourselves credit for our achievements in real time, our brains respond with a “thank you” by releasing dopamine, the body’s feel-good hormone. This powerful chemical helps reinforce habits more quickly. By immediately rewarding our actions, we strengthen the cause-and-effect connection, making it more likely that we’ll repeat the behavior, simply because it feels so good!
It’s important to give yourself credit in a way that feels genuine and resonates with you! Here are a few ideas as to how you can give yourself credit:
- Self talk - Have a phrase you use to remind you of your success. It can be helpful to consider what you might say to someone else if you can’t think of what to say to yourself e.g. “great work”, “good job”, “it’s so important that I…” etc.
- Physical gesture – Do a fist bump, high five, or even a victory dance when making a positive choice!
- Create a visual reminder – Write your wins on sticky notes and put them somewhere visible (e.g. fridge or desk) to reinforce your progress
- Treat yourself to non-food rewards – Buy a new workout top, a book, or take time out for some self care as a way to acknowledge your efforts
- Use a Wins Jar – Write each healthy choice on a small piece of paper and place it in a jar to reflect on later
A happy dance or virtual high five might work, but if it doesn’t feel genuine, it likely won’t trigger the dopamine boost we’re aiming for. Experiment with different ways of giving yourself credit to find a way that resonates with you.
A Real-Life Example: Meet Sarah
Sarah has been working hard on her weight loss journey. This past week, she had a few stressful days at work. One of those days, she packed her lunch for a meeting and ordered takeout for dinner after her daily walk. Later in the week, a coworker offered her a specialty drink from Starbucks and she chose to stick with her regular coffee. One afternoon, after a long meeting, she grabbed a bag of chips instead of the granola bar and fruit she had brought. Now, she’s feeling discouraged, thinking she’s failed and has gone off track.
But let’s break it down: 
Sarah might be focused on the slip-ups, but look at all the great choices she made! Those two moments don’t erase all the great work she did this week. By shifting her focus to her successes, she can see that the majority of her week she was practicing behaviors that align with her goals. Every choice she makes in the direction of her vision builds momentum; a great way to keep that positive momentum is by celebrating each step along the way.
Sarah decided to give herself credit by writing down her wins in a notebook as soon as she observed them, creating a personal record of her progress. By doing this, she’s reinforcing her new habits and building a powerful reminder of how far she’s come. On tough days, she can flip through her notes and see tangible proof of her efforts, helping her stay motivated and focused on her journey.
Now It’s Your Turn!
Use the space below to reflect on your own week. Write down both the challenges you faced and the wins you had—big or small. Remember, every step in the right direction counts!
By recognizing both your struggles and your victories, you’ll gain a clearer perspective on your progress and feel more motivated to keep going. You’ve got this!
