This was an article I recently wrote for my newsletter. I was hoping some members here would take something from it or at least that it would conjure up some discussion.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays!
With the new year fast approaching, a piece pertaining to motivation is called for given the fact so many will be setting new goals. It’s no secret that many people start their years off with a plan to achieve something. Unfortunately, very few ever accomplish what they set out to do.
I don’t want to get involved in how to set goals. The SMART acronym was highlighted in the last newsletter by Tom Venuto’s in his guest column. That’s a good place to start if you’re looking for ideas on how to construct meaningful goals.
Rather, I’d like to focus on the big picture and human behavior.
Namely these are simply random thoughts I have pertaining to motivation. I certainly don’t expect them to be meaningful to everyone and they’re certainly not all encompassing with regards to my thoughts on the subject.
It’s all the rave to tell someone they should be losing weight and exercising because it will ensure a long and healthy life. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to take that thought and use it to fuel action. Sure, it makes sense that making healthy choices with food and lifestyle habits will lead to rewards in terms of disease prevention, longevity, etc. Unfortunately it’s simply not enough to light any significant fire under my ass.
Maybe it’s the idea that genetics have a more profound impact on health and longevity than anything else. Or maybe it’s the concept of living in the moment that dampens the fire. All I know is I don’t look at a plate of salmon and broccoli and think to myself, “This way of eating is so awesome because I’m going to live forever!”
An ex-member of our forum suggested that we should lead a consistently healthy lifestyle for the good of society. He argued that we have a moral obligation to lead a healthy life in order to keep health care costs under control and so we can lead by example for our youth.
While I see his point about health care, it’s not something that is going to motivate me to go to the gym everyday. Setting an example for our youth is a bit more profound in my eyes. I love children and the fact I have one on the way makes my view a bit jaded.
There’s something to say, though, about parents who imprint poor habits on their children simply by way of setting a poor example. I don’t have the stats but I’d imagine children of obese parents are much more likely to be obese just as children of smokers are much more likely to smoke. They’re not even giving their kids a fighter’s chance.
However, for most this idea isn’t real enough to light any significant fire. And what if you despise kids and don’t plan on having any of your own?
The idea of being independent in my later years is appealing. The process of aging was something I never considered until recently. At 28 years of age I like to believe I have a lot of time left to go. However, my body certainly doesn’t deal as well as it used to. With each passing year there are more aches and pains. I imagine that only gets worse as we age and if I’m able to ward that off enough to allow me independence (dignity) when I’m an elder… well let’s just say that at least starts the fire.
What causes the hottest fire for me is relating exercise and nutrition to my self-identity. I identify myself as a capable, energetic, successful, moral, goal-focused survivalist. That’s a fancy way of saying I like to move around, compete, climb mountains, and act half my age. By survivalist, I simply mean I firmly believe I’m capable of coming through most any challenge life throws at me.
My self-identity fuels my desire to perpetuate itself, which calls for maintaining and improving my conditioning and strength, among other things.
It’s nonsensical to identify myself in the manner I do above yet lead a sedentary, boring life that doesn’t involve healthy endeavors. This would mean a) my identity is false or b) I’m either being robbed of or I’m robbing myself from freely expressing my true self.
For me, this is the core of my drive. That’s not to say it’s the sole fuel of my determination to improve physically. It’d be ludicrous to assume other factors don’t drive action such as values, beliefs, environment, etc. My self-identity, however, seems to be the foundation that my decision-making is invariably based on.
This leads me to wonder about those who don’t identify themselves in ways that promote healthy lifestyles. While they most certainly are aware of the positive effects of leading a healthy lifestyle, the activities associated with doing so (exercise, sports, hiking, eating vegetables, etc) can directly oppose the grain that comprises their identities.
I liken it to playing the guitar. I love the idea of being musically inclined and being able to rock out on a guitar. I love the idea so much that I even own a guitar. However, I don’t identify myself as a musician. The times I do think about the joy I’d derive from being able to play, I pick up the guitar and try to self-teach myself and within moments, it’s back in the corner collecting dust.
Sounds familiar, no? It’s a fact that 90% of overweight people have a piece of exercise equipment or a fitness DVD collecting dust in the corner.
Okay, I made that stat up, but…
My guitar example is almost identical to the times many people attempt to lose some fat and start an exercise program or diet. They love the idea of being fit and healthy. They’re identities may not be congruent with these concepts though. Aside from other problems (genetics, false-expectations, poor diet and exercise plans, etc), the simple act of living a healthy lifestyle can directly oppose their self-identity.
So my questions are simple…
How do you identify yourself?
Is this identification helping or hurting your chances of adopting a lifestyle that promotes a better body and health?
If not, is self-identity something that’s changeable?
Self-identity is merely the concept you have of yourself, which means it’s a matter of perception. Sure, some ideas have been hardwired into your brain from earlier programming, but that doesn’t mean it’s unchangeable. Changing a frame of reference has a potent effect on perception.
For instance, what if, with enough consistent focus and thought dedication, you were able to adopt a future self-identity? Your current self-identity is fueled by your past and your present. Adopting a future self-identity supersedes the simple act of goal setting, which is not to discredit the importance of setting goals.
Enhancing self-identity goes beyond the scope of this article. Simply identifying your current identity and its role in your decision making can lead to powerful realizations—the sort of realizations that can influence change.
I think it’s important when thinking about a future identity to consider all the factors that have the potential to influence it. Things like what you want from life, your fears, your beliefs, your values, how you’d like to be remembered, and irrational habits of the mind, can and will influence this process.
It’s easy to grasp that idea but putting forth the effort to identify these factors and the logic to assess their influence is tough.
Finding ways to do this repetitively and consistently enough to alter your identity and self-belief only compounds the challenge.
Life is like a movie. If you can’t identify with characters in a movie, you’re much less likely to be emotionally in tune with their role. Here, you are the main character. If where you’d like to be in the future isn’t something you can identify with, chances are good that your desired future and your current self are never going to meet.
Self-identity is going to happen whether you like it or not. A large portion of it is developed in our early years but it’s continuously being updated, confirmed, and influenced by our environments and our perceptions. As adults, we possess the ability to rationally filter what does and does not effect it.
If you find yourself in a position you don’t desire, do you identify yourself as someone who’s doomed to said position due to poor luck, crappy genetics, lack of intelligence, weakness, etc?
Or do you identify yourself as a survivor who currently finds him or herself in an undesirable position?
Put differently, are you a passenger or are you a driver? If you’re a passenger, your environment (past and present) is doing the steering and determining where you’re ultimately going to end up. If you’re a driver, you’ve set your destination and regardless of what your environment throws your way, you’re ultimately going to navigate your way to where you’d like to be.
A choice always exist. Things aren’t set in stone until you give up or you die.
