Motivation, Inspiration, and Commitment

One thing people frequently comment on is my motivation. How do you stay focused, even when it becomes challenging?

I’ve been trying to find the right word to describe it because I truly don’t believe this is a case of being motivated. Motivated implies there is some force that is compelling me to do something. Like I’m pushing myself to do this thing I don’t really want to do or an external condition (like diabetes) is forcing me to change my behavior. That is not the case.

I haven’t been struggling with food as much as a thought. I feel like I have plenty of food to eat and I have a load of options. The reason I drink a banana breakfast smoothie every morning isn’t because I make myself. It’s because I actually love those damn things.

Banana Smoothie:
1 cup frozen banana
1 cup milk of your choice. I use almond milk.
1 TBSP Peanut Butter (use the Teddy brand because once you have the good stuff, you realize everything else is crap)
2 TBSP protein powder of choice (you can also not do the protein powder, but I kinda wanted the extra protein)

Put in blender. Blend. Drink.

Same with exercise. I don’t struggle with dragging myself to do activities. I give myself lots of choices – I can swim, I can use the treadmill, I have some workout videos, I have that Wii I liberated from my mom (she wasn’t using it!). I can always walk if I’m not feeling any of those options. I have plenty of choices, so I don’t have any excuses.

Truthfully, sometimes when I don’t feel like doing exercise, and I do it anyway, I realize that it kinda feels good.

So if I don’t feel like it’s motivation, what is it?

I thought maybe it was Inspiration. I’m inspired to make better health choices. That sorta fits. Inspiration is something that uplifts us and gives us hope and a sense of possibility. This is definitely more of an intrinsic feeling, so the word fits.

Inspiration still doesn’t feel like a perfect match to me. I can inspire someone, but it feels weird to say that I’ve inspired myself.

If that works for you, take it. Everything I’ve read says that it doesn’t matter what makes you do a thing. Inspiration. Motivation. Whatever pushes you – you use that. It’s different for everybody.

So, motivation. Inspiration. Not quite there. I looked for a hot minute at Influence (a directive force that provokes change), but no. Not it.

Then I found it.

Commitment.

I committed myself to change.

Because I committed myself, I am determined to follow through.

You might say, …. Wait for it…. That because I have committed, I am channeling my indomitable spirit. 

Yeah, I stole that from Tae Kwon Do.

It’s not that every week or day is perfect either. Sometimes I eat the cake. Sometimes I skip the exercise.

But it doesn’t happen often because I want the results.

Also, fun fact, if you cut out lots of sugar from your diet, cake is too sweet.

But I digress.

Commitment works because it is intrinsic. It comes from me. No doctor said I had to. I choose. It’s also a bit sneaky because if you commit to a goal, what happens when you hit the goal?

You have to make a new goal.

Oooh.. did I say goals?

Yes I did.

That’s a whole different post...