Motivation Part 2: The Thinker's Guide

Are YOU prepared?

So, yesterday I told you about motivation.  Basically what should motivate you, if you can’t think of anything.  That sometimes motivation fails you, and you have to learn to just do it anyway.  Let me just tell you some of the things I’ve learned.

When I first started trying to eat healthier (I say try, ‘cause it wasn’t really healthy, just what I had “learned” was healthy), and moving more.  I was lucky enough to have a gym at my work.  I was also SUPER embarrassed to exercise in front of people, because I was overweight (imagine that, overweight people exercise too?!).  So, I’d hit the gym at night, when everyone was gone.

Anyway, back to my first source of motivation.  I actually had several, but I usually only tell people the fun one.  The less fun ones are kinda too heavy for some people to handle, but I’ll go over them with you, ‘cause you’re all special like that.  Okay, not really, but sometimes we need to go to our dark place, and deal with the shit we find. 

My FUN motivation:

1) Whenever I would watch any movie where it is life or death, or the end of the world, people are running.  I was never a good runner, and was usually at the end of the line, in P.E., huffing and puffing.  So, whenever the inevitable zombie apocalypse came along, I would be screwed.  If aliens came down and were blowing up the freeway I was on, I would never be able to run and save my life.  If some crazed psychopath were chasing me in the woods, I wouldn’t be able to get more than a few feet.  In other words, in each of these situations, I would die.  Probably from a burst lung.

2) I wanted to feel good!  Feeling gross and unhealthy really sucks. 

My dark place motivation: 

1) I’ve been overweight my whole life, and I seriously think this has put me on a path that may not be the one I want.  Like I was moving through life, based on my bad body image.  Not putting myself out there, ‘cause I didn’t feel like I deserved it.

2) I felt consumed with thoughts about my weight.  What would my life be like, if I didn’t have to think about my thighs?  What would open up for me?  How awesome would it be to look in the mirror and not feel disgusted (later I learned this has NOTHING to do with losing weight...But that’s another post.).

3) I had functioning legs, and NO excuse why I wasn’t using them.  There were people in the world that weren’t blessed with health, so I better take advantage of what I had, before I lost it.

4) My mother is disabled, and lives her life in her recliner.  She takes tons of medication, and constantly has to go to the doctor.  This was NOT the life I wanted...

So, there you go.  That was my motivation.  From the get go, at least I had better health in mind, but I based a lot of my motivation and goals on losing weight.  Lemme tell you, if you base all of your motivation on how you look, you’re setting yourself up for failure.  That’s where the “on a diet, off a diet” mind-set kills the whole thing.  As soon as you think you gained a pound you say, “EFF IT!” and you’re off the diet.

My ultimate point--write down what motivates you.  Don’t make them all harsh and bash yourself.  Be positive, and honest.  If you want to be around for your grandchildren, write that down.  If you want to make the home team in your derby league, write that down.  If you want to feel healthy, and be sick less, write that down.  Keep your motivation list somewhere handy, so that on the hard days, where you have no motivation, you can look at it.  And if your list isn’t good enough, stop thinking, put on your gym clothes, and just go.

Your sources of motivation will change, as you grow.  Trust me, it’s a real beautiful thing.