June 11, 2014 "Why? and How?"

June 11, 2014

I spend a lot of time lately thinking of "Why?" and "How?"

Questions like "Why did I get so overweight? Why'd I let this happen to me?"  or "How did I get this motivated to finally lose the weight?  If I lose my way again, how do I get back to 'here'?"

Have you ever read the books by Gretchen Rubin called The Happiness Project, or Happier At Home?  I love these books. I think they have great ideas in them on how someone could better their life, become a better person, and make others around them happier.  Generally, even make your life a little easier to lead.

She discusses a lot of ways people can wish they were happier.  For example, say your a happy person already, could you be happier?  One of my favorite questions on a date to ask is, "What one thing could you start doing today that would change your life forever?"  Thoughts like this cross my mind daily.

After mulling this kind of thing over often, I still have no idea how I got "here".  My go-to answer when someone asks lately is pretty simple. I just got "tired."  One day I just got tired of being lazy all the time, wanting to go to bed when others I knew where still wide-awake.  I got tired of wanting to take naps all the time, spending my weekends taking naps instead of having fun with my friends and family, going to the store and not being able to find anything that fits me, feeling terrible every time I looked in the mirror, or looked at a picture someone took of me, etc.  Sometime I must have made this mental list in my subconscious because it's so easy to rattle off.

Motivation is a funny thing.  How does one become more motivated?  What is the basic recipe, if you will, for motivation?  For me it's these things:

1.  Do it right now, don't procrastinate.
2.  Listen to fast music when it's hard to get moving.  It'll make you go faster.
3.  Get 6 to 8 hours sleep at night.
4.  Drink more water.
5.  Get an idea, and then do some research by reading a new book, watching a video, looking at the internet, or even just Pinteresting. The research might get you more excited.
6.  Start.  The first few minutes of a task are always the toughest, but after you start get going, you're half done.
7.  Discuss your idea with a friend.  Maybe the conversation will motivate you.
8. Do the task while with a friend, or even just talking to them on the phone.
9.  Discuss with others who are already in the midst of the journey, or are just now completing the goal.
10.  Make a list of baby-steps.