“You can either experience the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The choice is yours.” – Unknown
What is motivation? Motivation is that inner voice telling you to not give up. It’s getting up and starting your day right. Healthy eating, exercise for both the body and mind, giving yourself a purpose. It’s choosing the right path versus the wrong one. It’s deciding for yourself that you can be a better you than you were yesterday.
You don’t have to kill yourself to get to that better you, going so hard that you can’t move the next day will only put up another hurdle to overcome. Start by doing something out of the ordinary. Give your home a deep cleaning, pick a room to organize or freshen up, tidy up the shop, build that project you have been talking about doing for the last year, get everything done that deters you from becoming healthy, by doing healthy things, sure you might be a little sore but it won’t kill you, honestly you might even start craving that soreness. Get started by getting all the clutter away from your goal. So you can at least start with a clear path. Then keep it that way, make that part of your routine rather then the “I’ll get to it later attitude.” If its only a couple minutes to do the job in the first place, do it right away so it doesn’t pile up into hours. Make sure before you go to bed that the place you are living in is clean, organized, so you can wake up the morning, make your bed and get at er!
Motivation can come from different places in your life. Some people always have had that inner fire, others find it through a life event, a battle through addiction or because they know they have addictive qualities so they focus it through positive addictions instead. Some people do it to fight through anxiety and depression, either because they have had to fight or are still fighting through it, or because they don’t want to have to fight that never ending battle. Some do it to honor someone who is fighting or who have passed from any number of circumstances.
Some people can’t find that inner fire, they think they don’t have it, but you do. You have to find it, don’t let it hide anymore. Do what you always said you were going to do, no more, “I was totally going to start jogging today but can’t now cause its raining.” Your not going to melt, its fine!! They make hundreds of different styles and sizes for rainproof gear. Time to clear those hurdles, unless of course you are doing hurdles to get into shape. In that case leave those hurdles and use another object to clear.
You have to know that the only difference between the life you have and the life of the person you want is that they are doing it. Don’t retort by saying, “I’m happy the way I am, I don’t want to be anyone else.” I’m not saying to change, or to emulate that person. But if you don’t like something about yourself, I don’t think it’s terrible to find an inspiration in someone, take Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) or Jason Statham for a couple examples of inspiration, these men are into their 50’s, they look great and you aren’t constantly hearing about them unless they have an upcoming movie or appearance coming up, meaning their minds are strong as well. They know they aren’t perfect but they are mentally strong enough to push through the negativity they may come across. You have to know that you aren’t perfect, nobody is. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to make some things that you don’t like in your life better, or a little more perfect.
Wherever you find that motivation to do the good things in your life; Hold onto it. It is very easy in this day and age, especially at the present time, to form the unhealthy habits. Habits near impossible to break, the ones that can have long lasting effects on your life. Its easy to follow those habits, they don’t consume much energy, they have become part of your routine, but do they contribute to your life at all? I’m not saying don’t binge watch a series on whatever streaming program you have ever, but don’t make it a habit. Everything in moderation, and always pay attention to yourself, some times habits creep in when your not paying attention.
Staying healthy, in body and mind will be how we endure these trying times. That motivation that pushes you through the pain of regret and into the pain of discipline will make your life better. For your body now and in the future, the pain of discipline will make things financially easier. You wont be sick as often, you won’t need so much medical help when you are older, less medication for pain. You will have more energy for your significant other, your kids, your friends, your family, your job, maybe pick up a hobby, trust me you will have the time after you cut the negative habits out of your life.
For your mind it will open up to not just one train of thought because through that discipline, through your self-motivation you will have rewired your brain to look at things from a different light. You will enjoy life more because of everything else that has opened up. You won’t have that time to dwell on the negative and will be around the positive more. Take a Hike! in a good way, see some amazing views of where you live. Hell, do some yoga when you reach your destination, really clear up that space in your head. If your stuck at home on the treadmill or whatever you have, fire up YouTube and check out some virtual running trails. I’m sure they have biking ones too, I just don’t have a bike in my gym yet.
Just stay motivated, and continue to be a better you then you were yesterday. It is challenging, it takes guts, but it is rewarding.
Like 2Pac said “You gotta make a change. It’s time for us as a people to start making some changes, Lets change the way we eat, lets change the way we live, and lets change the way we treat each other. You see the old way wasn’t working so its on us, to do what we gotta do to survive.”
DMKK
The Other Side of the Coin 