You’ve joined a gym and you’re all set to drop that 20 pounds you’ve promised yourself you’d lose for years. Your motivation is high and you know you can do it!

That is fantastic news, but it’s time to temper your enthusiasm with a bit of reality. The fact is your motivation is very high right now and that’s a good thing. Your motivation, however, isn’t going to last forever. When you’re 10 pounds in and that last 10 pounds won’t seem to go away, you need a plan in place to keep yourself going.

So, how can you bolster your motivation and make sure it stays on course? There are a few fairly simple tricks that can help you retain your desire to achieve even when the going gets tough. Try these things to help yourself stay on track:

Don’t work out alone. When you work out alone, it’s all too easy to quit in the last 10 minutes. It’s also a whole lot easier to skip a day here and there. You need a way to hold yourself accountable to overcome those dips in motivation that are very likely to occur. Instead of going it alone, workout with a friend. Keep up with personal training sessions. Join a group exercise class. Just do something that involves another human being that can help hold your feet to the fire if and when the urge to quit strikes.

Keep a journal. The journey to get into better shape can be long and arduous. It is often fraught with ups and downs, too. Write down everything that happens in a journal. Record your successes and lament about your struggles. Releasing your doubts can help you gain focus. Recording your successes might give you the strength to draw on when you need it the most.

Set goals. Saying you want to lose 100 pounds is great, but it’s a pretty big number to shoot for. While it’s a great idea to have an end goal, try setting smaller ones along the way. Use milestone goals to help keep yourself going. Give yourself rewards when you attain these milestones, too. Little things like a massage or a day at the salon for losing five or 10 pounds can motivate you to keep reaching for loftier goals.

Losing weight is a journey that calls for motivation. Keep yours high by enlisting some help. The pros at your gym or your personal trainer can help you get on track and stay that way.