“Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
–Lolly Daskal
First comes motivation, then comes small changes. When small changes happen, discipline is born. From discipline, your whole life can change.
This weekend was beautiful out here in the Black Hills. My husband and I had a great time going out to eat (I counted my calories!), buying some new equipment for our ranch on Saturday and yesterday we actually went out and walked a large portion of our property. Ten acres is a lot of land to walk and we managed to walk about a mile of it. I was excited since we bought the house in the dead of winter, it was too cold to really go out and explore (plus, the baby’s nap time made for an easier opportunity). After we scouted our land, we came back inside and taped up our daughter’s bedroom and started a massive painting project. It felt good, but with doing three loads of laundry, cooking dinner and tending to a very rambunctious 6 month old, I’ve gotta say, I am out of shape!
But it inspired me and it became part of my motivation for today. We have a lot of work to do on our ranch; from building a new goat shelter, chicken coop and horse barn, repairing fencing outside, to a lot of painting and smaller house repairs inside. Before I know it, we’re going to have goats and chickens that are going to be needing a lot of attention and care. I’m going to really have to pick up my game and start putting in much harder work than I have before. I can no longer let myself be sedentary.
Weight loss and a healthier lifestyle should be more than vanity (although that is a reason, even for me). I want to be able to keep up with my husband and my daughter. I want the bragging rights to say I completed a 5k. I’m going to have to be outside milking goats and collecting eggs. I want to actually say I’ve tried a healthy food and that it was enjoyable. I want to sleep better at night, lower my resting heart rate and just feel good in my own skin.
There are always downfalls when it comes to motivation, however.
Motivation is fleeting. I can sit here all day and daydream about what inspires me, but actually doing these things is completely different. There’s thinking and there’s doing. Putting theory into practice is a challenge but it can be so rewarding. Sometimes it’s scary to do something different outside of our norm and I think that’s what holds us back the most. Once we dip our toes in though, the experience can be more encouraging than what originally motivated us. Once we keep going, we can become unstoppable.
So let that motivation guide you into your discipline. Whether you just want to fit into that old pair of skinny jeans or you want to compete in a marathon; let whatever it is that motivates you fuel your discipline. Doing anything for the sake of just doing won’t fulfill you as much without the motivation behind it. Eat that healthy meal because it makes your body feel better than that greasy cheeseburger. Do those push-ups because you enjoy the way your muscles feel when they’re tightening up and you know that tank top is going to rock on you. Run as fast as you can and as far as you can because you’re celebrating that free feeling rather than feeling stuck and festering on a couch. Whatever your reasons are, let them fuel your discipline – today and every day.
With that in mind, I think I’m in desperate need of a good solid workout right now. Cheers to you all!
Find what motivates you:
- Write down a list of aspirations and goals
- Write down what makes you want these changes
- Make a list of how you can accomplish these goals
- Start slow and steady. Your life is a marathon, not a sprint
- Remember, your goals are for you and you alone. Don’t try to align them with anyone else’s timeline or life
Unfit For Human Consumption 