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My Thought for the Day

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Re: Motivation

It's become "that evil M-word" and I toss it around as my excuse du jour for falling short or giving up. "I'm just not motivated ..." "I can't seem to find the motivation ..." "If I could just find a way to stay motivated, maybe I would stick with ..."

Well no more. Not only is motivation not a dirty word, it's also not my problem. I am motivated: I am sick n tired of being sick n tired with this weight, and with continuously starting (and stopping) yet another "lifestyle change" or diet program. I don't want to be this weight ever again. I don't want 300 to be my "o no!" number. I don't even want 200 to be an acceptable "o no!" number. That is my motivation. I want to look at myself in the mirror or in photographs and say, "yup, that's me," without immediately adding "ugh. I hate that."

I think "discouraged" is a much more accurate descriptor for me than "not motivated." My problem is (and, really, always has been) that I get discouraged and give up. What I lack is will power. I give in to temptation, and therefore give up on myself, entirely too easily. I can rationalize my way into or out of anything. With ease and grace. It's gotten to the point that I can even fool myself. Scary. (I've often joked that my degree in English should have been a BS degree, not a BA degree, because really, that's certainly what my big college "learning" was: how to fake it to make the grade.)

This is what I need to focus on. Sticktoitiveness.

I have made this decision to make a lasting change (read: this really is the last time really); I am making serious changes in the way I eat, exercise, and think about nutrition in general; I am making (slowly but surely) progress toward being in a healthier place mentally and emotionally; and I am learning to accept myself for who and what I am, right here, right now, rather than doggedly and depressingly focusing on what I wish I were, or what I hope to be, or what I once was. I need to start with being OK with me and work my way up to loving me.

And that is where this journey really starts for me. This is much, much more than just the next chapter in my continual struggle with weight loss. This is the next chapter in my life, and if I want the next 28.5 years to be better than the 28.5 years I've just survived, I need to embrace this part of the journey and really own it. THAT is my big-picture goal.
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Member Comments About This Blog Post
  • RAD-DAD
    Here's a tip I've had some success with in the past and plan to use again. Visualization is a tool that even top athletes use regularly to envision being what they want to be. When asked how he felt about winning his first Masters event, Tiger Woods responded by saying this. "I've already won it 100 times in my mind, and it feels exactly the same way". He uses visualization to be the best golfer he can be. In his early years, Arnold Schwarzenegger would always visualize what he wanted to look like.

    To me, this is the opposite of what people like you and me do. We look at how we are now and wish it was different, whereas they look at how they want to be and the body follows the mind.

    Find an old picture of you that most closely resembles what you would like to look like. Make some copies of that picture and put them in places you will see them. I had one taped to the side of my monitor, one in my car, and one at work near my desk. Looking at these pictures will help you visualize what is really inside of you. When the mind focuses on these things, the body has a funny way of following.

    Give it a try and spend some time visualizing what you want to look like. Visualize what you would wear, how you would walk, what you would look like doing activities such as swimming. Visualize yourself with your friends, laughing and enjoying good times.

    You can do this...you CAN do this. Now go get em!
    3803 days ago
  • KELLEA927
    Good job..... now let's rethink that 5k! ;) I know you can do this. All of it and find the inner you!
    3926 days ago

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