What Motivates You?

Someone asked me this question, and I had to think about it for a minute.

I guess I would say that it breaks down to equal parts of enjoyment, health, and of course a little vanity.

Enjoyment - this may be the wrong choice of words, but since I started exercising years ago, I really do enjoy how I feel. I struggled with debilitating depression for many years. I had gone to the doctors looking for a cure, and was given different medications. Unfortunately, I experienced side effects -so, I tried to just deal with the condition. The depression affected just about every area of my life.

But, one day, February 15th to be exact, something told me to get up and move. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I had just eaten an entire box of chocolate truffles-and then decided to weigh myself? Hmmmm. By the way, I was at my all time high.

Anyway, I walked into the spare bedroom, and there it was - the treadmill. I stood there looking at it. I had tried working out before, but would be disappointed with myself when I would quit. This time was different. I told myself "get on that thing for 5 minutes - that's it. 5 minutes - how long is that? 3 commercials? Surely, I can do 5 stinking minutes"
It probably took me longer to find my workout shoes, but once I started it felt good. 5 minutes passed quickly, and it was decision time - "how about 5 more?", I said to myself.

And so it began, I began setting goals -this helped immensely. It gave me something to strive for. First was to do 10 minutes 3 days a week -then 15 minutes, and so on. Before I knew it, I was RUNNING -who woulda thunk it? The girl who would use every excuse in the book to get out of gym class was RUNNING!! At this point, I added weights. My body was changing. I was stronger. The fat was coming off and I could see definition - it was all good. But, most importantly, I was happy. I smiled more. I slept better. I didn't feel anxious. The clouds had lifted. The despair that followed me most of my adult life was defeated. I credit exercise for this, and I never want to go back to that place.

Health - Genetics plays a huge part. My family history tells me I'd better take control or I'll be in big trouble. Here's why - My paternal Grandmother died of a massive stroke at the age of 46. My maternal Grandmother had 5 heart attacks and 2 strokes before she died at the age of 63. My Father died of a massive heart attack at the age of 60 - his brother, my uncle, died of a heart attack at the age of 46. My Mother has recently been diagnosed with having 2 mini-strokes at some point in her life. My Sister has had 2 strokes-she's 49. I would have to have a death wish not to try and improve my odds.

Last, but not least, vanity. Like every woman in America, I have those things about my body that I don't like, but working out has helped me accept them. Now, I can look at myself in the mirror and focus on the "good parts" instead of obsessing about the "bad". I hold my head a little higher because I know I work hard for those "good parts".

So, as this year begins, think about this question - What will motivate you? What will give you that kick in the butt you may need to keep going? Do you want to improve your outlook on life? Do you want to increase your odds of living longer? Or, do you want to feel more comfortable in your own skin? When you come up with your answer, write it down, and every now and then, read it. Let it be a reminder of why you're working so hard.