All day at work I daydream about how I’m going straight to the gym after I get home. I’m going to get changed into workout clothes, grab a quick pre-workout snack, and head to the gym to get that workout in. Next stop: endorphins city.

Some days it goes according to plan. Other days I’ll get home from work and my body is just like LOL NAH cue Netflix. Specifically: Bob’s Burgers or How to Get Away with Murder (season two y’all – can I get a O-M-G?).

On nights like the above it helps to have that extra motivation for the pep in my reps…or ya know steps, on the treadmill. The next time you find yourself blowing off the gym to Netflix & chill, use these 6 motivators to get that workout in:

Remember how you felt the last time you didn’t go. I bet you wish you had gone. For me, I almost feel guilty knowing I easily could have made it to the gym, but I chose not to. You never hear someone say that they regret a good workout, but you almost always hear someone say that they wish they would have gone if they hadn’t.

See how far you’ve come. Notice your progress. Flex your baby abs. Flex your arms. Those muscles weren’t there before and now they are because you invested the time and the will. Don’t lose them now.

You won’t feel as bad when you enjoy that little bacon cheese burger from Five Guys. It’s all about balance. Some days you go to the gym and eat salads, other days you lounge and enjoy a greasy, fattening, pile of goodness. The little bacon cheeseburger burger doesn’t taste AS bad when you go to indulge and you know you’ve earned it. Trust me, I would know. Also, anyone else suddenly craving Five Guys?

Pump up that gym playlist. There’s nothing like pushing yourself on the elliptical or finishing your final set of reps while jamming out to the songs that get you pumped. Need some tunes? Follow my Spotify gym playlist here.

Make the time for the gym now, so when you can’t make it you won’t be stressed. I am notorious for saying that I want to drop just “five more pounds before (insert any upcoming event here)”. For example, we are leaving for Illinois next Friday and I know that a lot of pictures will be taken while we’re up there. Obviously I know that I want to look my best for said pictures. Would it be great to make it to the gym every day between now and then? Of course. Will it happen? Most likely not. I’m determined, but I’m also realistic. If you’ve been going to the gym right along, then you’ll already know you’re lookin’ fab for any upcoming events as opposed to stressing yourself out all of a sudden trying to squeeze in gym time every single day when it’s not your norm.

Instant gratification from your fitness tracker (Apple Watch, Fitbit, etc). Ok, I’ll be honest. I feel REALLY good about myself when I hit those full circle days on my Apple Watch. To my non-apple watchers: a full circle day is when you hit your calorie goal, standing goal, and exercise goal. It’s basically the trifecta of an active day. Seeing how much I have left before hitting these goals motivates me to push a little harder to ensure that I do hit them. It’s the same with other fitness trackers. Fitbits alert you when you’ve hit your steps. Ellipticals and treadmills show you how many calories you’ve burned. It’s all about those visual goals, people. They’re just a little more motivating to hit because it’s something you can actually see happen.

If you really want it, you have to work for it. 3 months from now you’ll be so glad that you did.

*Read about my weight-loss journey here.