Motivation

I read somewhere that the key to staying motivated is to have "emotionally-charged" goals to strive towards; we are all spurred into action when our emotions are embroiled in our aspirations. I firmly believe this. It is critical if we are to achieve success. Yet motivation is a very fickle creature; inspiration is so short-lived with us. I mean, how often have we seen people committed to changing themselves or the world around them as a result of a few uplifting words? And yet, if you check in on them a few days or weeks later, there is nary a glimmer of the hope, excitement, or enthusiasm they once showed. They're back to their old ways - the comfortable lifestyle and conveniences they've known so long.

I know this all too well. Speaking from personal experience, the number of times I've told myself I'd begin a diet or exercise regimen only to quit midway through the week, are countless; my heart simply was not convinced and commitment subsequently faltered. Many of my more athletically-gifted friends couldn't undestand why I "wasted" nearly two months to begin this physical transformation. Their advice was always the same: "there's no better time than NOW to begin." They couldn't understand that I needed time to become sufficiently emotionally invested in my goals in order to build the necessary energy for a proper "lift-off" and enter an "orbit" of habit.

Yet our motivation is driven by our reasons behind our desire for change. More than developing a nice physique or improving my health, my personal reasons for transforming my body run much, much deeper than the depth of my skin. I seek personal growth through the self-discovery I hope to experience. Crippled by insecurities, I hope to develop enough confidence and self-esteem to begin enjoying life for a change. This is my "glorious struggle."