Let’s say you have a class reunion to go to…
Ok, let’s say I have a class reunion to go to. How do I want to look and feel going into that roomful of former classmates? Do I want to turn heads in the best possible way? You bet I do. Can I use that to motivate me to lose weight? Probably not. Sure, I can be vain. Yes, I’d like to cruise into that room with a body that’s at least reminiscent of my teenage self. But I’ve been to three high school class reunions already and my weight never budged knowing I’d be seeing old friends.
What provides us with motivation to accomplish something is deeply personal. Virtuous reasoning rarely works. That is, for example, looking at a BMI chart and seeing where some experts say we should be.
I recently lost about 35 pounds. My motivator was pain. Sitting on the couch crying because the bursitis was unbearable was a powerful inspiration. I didn’t change the way I ate to lose weight as much as I did to see if I could eliminate the constant agony. And what do you know—I lost weight in the process.
What’s a goal you have? What would you like to accomplish? Invent something better than sliced bread (or better than cold canned beer, as a friend of mine used to say)? Create the next Mona Lisa or be the next Banksy? Lose 20 pounds? Make a pile of money? Run a marathon?
The first step is to identify that goal. The second is to ask yourself why. For fame? Influence or power? Vanity? Legacy? Health? This is where you’ll need to be brutally honest. Dig deep.
Is it okay to do something out of vanity or a desire for influence or power? You betcha. Your emotions are your emotions, and they are what will spur you on to the finish line. You don’t have to reveal your motivation to anyone but yourself. It’s your unique secret superpower.
We all have our quirks. We may as well put them to use.
If feeling vain or whatever makes you uncomfortable, you can add some altruistic motivation. Who else benefits from your goal? My being pain-free (and losing weight) will allow me to run around with my grandchildren. Being the next Leonardo can put you in the spotlight and allow you to talk about causes that are important to you. Making a pile of money can allow you to be a philanthropist.
Once you find your real motivation, don’t just think about it. Write it down. Put it somewhere you can see it. Review it periodically to make sure your reasoning resonates. If it no longer does, rethink it. Reinvent it.
Then reinvent yourself into everything you ever dreamed of.