today is as good a day as any.

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Forty miles.  That is one of my January goals—to run forty miles.  To be honest, I am off to a weak start only having run five miles since January 1.  But, today is as good a day as any to more diligently work toward that goal and meet or exceed it by month's end.  After all, I know that running has great health benefits, but sometimes I just need motivation.

Mix up the music.  |  Everyone gets a little pep in their step when a great song comes on during a workout, right?  I like to download a few new, upbeat songs a week to make my workouts more enjoyable.  Or, I will try out a new Pandora station if there aren't any songs that strike my fancy.

Buy new workout clothes.  |  Maybe it has to do with the shopaholic in me, but there is nothing more motivating than new workout clothes.  Something as simple as a new Lululemon headband is enough to get me out the door and to the gym.

Set reasonable goals.  |  Know yourself and set goals that you can reasonably accomplish.  If you are anything like me, continually setting unrealistic goals makes it less likely you will continue working toward any goal and more likely you will simply give up.

Write it down.  |  When I write my goals down, it helps to keep my accountable knowing that these are real goals and not some unattainable ambition I have in my head.  In the spirit of accountability, my goal for this week is to run twenty-five miles—five miles, five days this week.

Reward yourself.  |  I don't reward myself for accomplishing every goal, but when I can anticipate a busy work week and I am likely to come home and plop down on the couch, I will come up with an incentive to stay on track.

How do you hold yourself accountable for your fitness goals?  What do you do to stay motivated?