Anonymous: I have this tendency to be really motivated one day and then completely not in the mood the next. One, For example, I'm 50 lbs overweight, and every day I tell myself I'm going on a diet and I start off okay, but then eventually I just stop. And for my fanfics, I have everything planned out in my head but then I just stop feeling like writing. Which is really bad because I have like 5 fics I need to update.>< Anyways, advice? How can I get and stay motivated when doing things so that I stick it out until the end?

Friend: Dear Anonymous,

Motivation is something really hard to keep if it’s not something strong. We all have those moments where we just feel like taking a nap and simply not doing anything the rest of the day, but hey: we’re human.

A way to overcome your obstacle is setting a goal. If you really want to lose those pounds, set a reasonable goal. Don’t go crazy and think that you can lose 20 lbs in one week. Start of with something small like, cutting down your portion sizes just a little bit. Or divide your three large meals into six smaller ones (that way your metabolism will be working throughout the day and it’ll help you in the long run).

One of the ways I got my friend to lose weight was to buy a pair of jeans he’s been dying to get. They were his favorite brand and he loved everything about them from their pockets to their buttons. But sadly, they only had one size left and it was medium. He wasn’t exactly obese but you could say he was more on the heavy side and usually wore a large. He was struggling with losing weight as well and those jeans were his motivation. Day by day he would exercise and stick to his regimen diet and before he knew it, he was wearing those jeans almost every time we hung out. I’m not telling you to go and buy yourself an extra extra extra small shirt, but buying something you really like to envision yourself in it can help you even a little bit.

Dieting is only half the battle of weight loss. If you think you can lose 50 lbs. off of just sticking to water and vegetables, then I’m sorry to say that that’s not true. Doing something small like taking the stairs or parking just a few feet farther away from the store can really help add up.

One thing you really need to do is push yourself far beyond expectations. If you finish doing those 20 set of push-ups, push yourself to do an extra 3 or 5 more! That tiny burst of energy can add up and by the end of the week, 20 push-ups might seem like child’s play.

Sometimes you just need that extra push from a friend. Next time you go to the gym or simply take a jog around the house, offer a friend to tag along. That way, you can both help one another and push the other one forward if it's needed.

I know that it’s really hard to keep up with the daily diet and routine, but if you push yourself just once. You’ll feel this joy of finally accomplishing something and going farther than you expected yourself to go! Not to mention that satisfied smile and feeling you’ll get when you reach your goal.

A tip I recommend is cutting down on soda. Next time you go out with your friends, instead of ordering a soda stick to water. If you cut off soda from your everyday diet, I promise you that you’ll see that number on the scale drop. You won’t believe how much sugar soda has and just by cutting that drink out of your system, you’ll see results. But you have to stick to this! You can’t be like, “Maybe I’ll drink two cups today and not drink any soda next week.” No. I know a strict diet is hard to maintain but hey, no one said that it’d be easy.

I never want to seem like the bad guy but sometimes you have to. Being overweight can cause serious health issues and I think you know that. I’m not trying to put you down or anything of the sort! But I hope that you can realize that if you stick to your recommended diet and exercise, you can live a better life(: Once one thing falls into place, the rest will soon follow.

As for your fics, I really recommend trying to focus on one fic at a time. I know it’s hard and you’re going to worry about your other fics but trust me; I think it’s best for you to finish one fic first. As soon as you tackle that first fic that you finish, you’ll soon finish up the rest of them as well. As soon as you hit that little check box that says “Mark Story Complete,” you’ll be glad that you put in all your energy into that one fic and see those orange letters standing next to the title saying “Complete.”

If you don’t think you can handle that, I’m sorry to say this but there’s also the option to delete a fic. If you’re like me, you treat all of your fics like children (LOL) and wouldn’t even think about deleting any one of them. But sometimes it’s better to throw away that idea you lost all your motivation for and focus on the ones that you still have hope in.

If you’re someone who can’t seem to keep up with on-going fics, I recommend that you try writing oneshots instead. They’re quick and short and you don’t even have to continuously update them unless they are two-shots or really long oneshots. Plus, it makes it easier to keep track of the plot since it’s shorter than those 100+ chaptered fics.

Bad habits are hard to break but once they're broken, the sky's the limit(: Feel free to let me know when you hit your goal and finish one of your fics. Fighting! :D

~(Chingu) 친구