Making positive changes in your life can be a lonely business. When we change, the people around us are not always happy for us. Often they fear that because we are seeing the world differently we may now see them differently, no matter how much we reassure them. Their negativity can eat away at our motivation and begin to erode our determination to stick to our goals.

One way to keep up the momentum is to look back with pride at what you have achieved so far. Next time you find the dream destroyers nipping at your heels, try these three motivation boosters.

Booster #1 – Remember where you started. When you began your goal plan, you should have made a note of where you were at the beginning. If you didn’t, don’t worry, I’m sure you can easily remember. Let’s say your goal was to reach a certain level of fitness or to give up a bad habit, like smoking.

At the beginning you were perhaps gasping for breath after walking up a few flights of stairs, or you were getting through a pack of cigarettes a day. Now that you have made some progress, take a moment to remember how you felt at the beginning; how uncomfortable it was to be short of breath; how you disliked yourself for your heavy nicotine habit. Do you feel the same way now? Of course not.

Booster #2 – Compare the old you to the new you. Even if you have only moved a short way down the road to your goal, it is important to appreciate what you have so far achieved. You might not be fully fit, but how many times have you been to the gym since you began? How much easier are the stairs now? How far can you run? How many fewer cigarettes do you smoke a day, if you are cutting down, or how much less are you craving a drag, if you have given up completely.

Take careful stock of what you have done so far and try to quantify it in numbers. Write down every improvement you can think of in your progress journal.

Booster #3 – Finally, take time to celebrate your success. Look at your list of achievements and give yourself congratulations. Simply by taking action you are one of a tiny handful of people who have the courage to make a positive change in their lives and do something to improve themselves. Be proud of what you have done, what you are doing and what you will do very soon.

Give yourself a small reward, by doing something you enjoy or buying yourself a small gift. You deserve it and no matter what anyone else says, you have come a long way.