This time of year many people go about setting New Year’s Resolutions, things like quitting smoking, lose weight and start exercising only to be forgotten once the calendar turns over to February. Why is that? Why are people who are so inspired to change something about their lives so easily dissuaded? The issue I see is the battle of Inspiration vs. Motivation. Let’s take a look at the definition of both words:
in·spi·ra·tion /
noun
1. an inspiring or animating action or influence: I cannot write poetry without inspiration.
2. something inspired, as an idea.
3. a result of inspired activity.
4. a thing or person that inspires.
5. Theology .
a. a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.
b. the divine quality of the writings or words of a person so influenced.
6. the act of inspiring; quality or state of being inspired.
mo·ti·va·tion
noun
1. the act or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way: I don't understand what her motivation was for quitting her job. Synonyms: motive, inspiration, inducement, cause, impetus.
2. the state or condition of being motivated: We know that these students have strong motivation to learn.
3. something that motivates; inducement; incentive: Clearly, the company's long-term motivation is profit.
Looking at the definitions of the 2 words what stands out to me is that inspiration comes from an outside source and motivation is something more internal. Also inspiration seems to be driven by “What” you want to accomplish and motivation is driven by “Why” you want to accomplish them. So if you are inspired to lose weight after a holiday season of gluttony and excess but not motivated to actually join a gym and start working out, you are doomed to failure.
I can speak from personal experience on this, I knew I was gaining weight over the years, I wasn’t blind or stupid. Every time bought new pants and I had to go up a size, or what once was a drawer full of large and XL t-shirts became 2XL and 3XL and those larges became old rags I knew I needed to get back on the right track. I would come across a late night infomercial for P90X or some other home gym workout program and I would get inspired to join the gym again and start working out. But sure enough by the next morning, or a few days later it would be forgotten or as in some cases I would join the gym, go for a couple days or weeks, but soon grow frustrated with either my lack of progress or just the simple fact that I could not do the things I once could so easily. One of the most vivid memories I have of a failed attempt to get back into exercise was a time I was at the gym doing bench presses and struggling with 135 lbs, meanwhile the 40-50+ year old guys were not too far away banging out sets at 225-250 lbs with ease. This was incredibly demoralizing, especially since once upon a time I could bench press over 500 lbs, I used to warm up with what those guys were lifting and 135 lbs wasn’t even something I messed with. Inspiration faded quickly and the gym got a year’s worth of membership dues for about a week’s worth of exercise.
So inspiration failed once I was faced with adversity and struggled with my own expectations of success, what than motivated me to start my journey? Well if you have read my blog for any time you know that one of the biggest motivators is my sons, especially setting the example of a healthy lifestyle for them. But that wasn’t what got me started in the first place; it is what keeps me going now. What motivated me in the beginning was something so simple, I was embarrassed. Not for myself, well I was but having dealt with weight issues (or the perception of my weight) all my life it wasn’t anything new. What was the real kick in the teeth was I was embarrassed for my kids, and my wife, that they had me as a father and a husband, and it really hit home when we were on vacation in Florida the first time. I was that guy at the pool and the beach, the one who didn’t want to take off his shirt and when I did you knew why. I always hid my weight well with a shirt on, broad shoulders and a barrel chest helped out and I still had some muscle from years of lifting weights for sports, but when stripped of my only defense and cover against the truth of my weight I was exposed for what I truly was…obese. And I was embarrassed that my family had to be seen with me. That vacation was when I made the decision to change my life. Not when the doctor told me 6 months earlier that I had high blood pressure, borderline diabetic, off the chart cholesterol and was killing myself slowly. No that was only inspiration because I still didn’t care, in fact I almost even bragged about my condition to people when explaining it. It hadn’t settled in yet that I might not live to see my kids graduate high school or college or get married I was still living in denial. But on that vacation I was really faced with what my life had become, and I realized what I was going to miss out if I didn’t do something to change for them, not for me but for the people who counted on me. My family became my motivation, and being there for them for the long haul and not being an embarrassment to them, well not for my weight at least ;-)
At the end of this week I will set out my 2012 Goals, I don’t do resolutions anymore I set goals. A resolution seems like something I “need” to change, and if that’s the case I’m not waiting till the New Year for that. Besides goals are something to strive for, a benchmark of success, a challenge to conquer, and as an athlete that is much more motivating to me, I like challenges.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season...Until next time...do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.
Awesome post. Simply awesome!
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