Inspiration, Motivation and Commitment ~ Three Ducks in a Row
First of all, let’s clear up the difference between these
three.
I believe they are all integral to succeeding in whatever it is a person
is trying to achieve.
The dictionary definitions are not that helpful.
Inspiration:
a
thing or person that inspires.
Motivation: something that motivates
Commitment: the state of being committed
My Interpretations
inspiration: that one
thing (or series of things) that drives the initial decision to do something,
have something or make changes.
motivation: the reason
(or reasons) that a person has for wanting to do something, have something or
make changes.
commitment: making a
pledge or a promise to carry out an action (or series of actions) to enable a
person to do something, have something, or make changes.
So, in a nutshell. Inspiration makes us want
it, motivation helps us get it and commitment makes it last.
So what does this all
mean in a personal and slightly more practical sense? How was I inspired in the first place, what
keeps me motivated and what is the driving force behind that all-important commitment
to seeing it through?
I have spoken to a lot of
people who have attempted to reach goals in the past and have succeeded to a
point, but then somewhere along the way they have lost momentum and ended up
either stopping still or going right back to the place that they started. Sound
familiar? It is to me, because I did it too many times to count.
Throughout all those
years, failed attempts and half-measures of success, there seemed to be
something missing. That something was undeniably, without a doubt, 100% related
to my mindset. I may have had plenty of one or even two of those components
working for me, but I certainly didn’t have all three.
What went wrong in the past?
Every time I started out
on a new weight loss programme, I would begin with an amazing amount of
momentum and a positive outlook. For some reason however, I would never be able
to keep the weight off. I would always, and I mean always, put the weight back
on and then some. I ended up heavier than when I had started out. This was a
cycle that I was bound to repeat time and time again until that critical moment
in 2012 when I finally decided that enough is enough. My theory is pretty
simple. You have to change the way you think about it. Throw out the word ‘diet’
because it just doesn’t work, forget about the ‘quick fix’ mentality because
that doesn’t work either, find a way to gather these three simple things together
and you will succeed.
Three Ducks?
Do you really need all
three? Isn’t one by itself enough? I think not!
Inspiration without
motivation or commitment:
Wanting to change but not willing to put in the effort
or go further than step one. Fail.
Motivation without
inspiration or commitment:
Plenty of reasons to do it, nothing really driving
it and not a single chance of it lasting longer than a few months. Fail.
Commitment without
motivation or inspiration:
Plenty of perseverance , but no real reason to keep
going or even get started. Fail.
Even two out of three doesn’t really work ...
Inspiration and
motivation without commitment:
Short term results and then, eventually and
inevitably … failure.
Motivation and commitment
without inspiration:
I think you could probably get by on these two,
but with nothing to feed the dream, the dream soon fades.
Inspiration and
commitment without motivation:
It’s all about wanting to get somewhere and
having a long term focus, but lacking the reason to stay on the path. As the
motivation subsides, so does the inspiration and not long after that commitment
is gone.
So that explains why I
failed so many times. Thankfully, this time was different.
All it took was a shift in my thinking.
What went right?
This time was different
somehow.
I had these three little ‘ducks’ in a row and it just felt right.
It
was a winning combination.
My Inspiration
Among many other things, two people stand out as my main
sources of inspiration.
They are both named Sarah.
My daughter Sarah is a quiet achiever. Little by little,
right before our eyes, she focused herself on a weight-loss goal, developed the
strategies she needed to get the job done, and without any of us really
noticing it happening, lost an incredible 19 kilograms. This inspired me and it
was at this time that I started to believe I might be able to do it too. It was
Sarah that I spoke to about the tools I would need to follow her lead and lose
some weight too. It was Sarah that introduced me to My Fitness Pal, which has,
quite frankly, changed my life. She has been an important part of my journey in so many
ways. I will always appreciate her
guidance, her unrelenting support and her friendship.
Sarah Collier
My friend Sarah is another truly inspirational woman. One
day when I was browsing through some facebook pages, I stumbled across an
incredible image of Sarah, a before and after photo that she had uploaded. I
was just amazed. If I remember correctly, I think I was moved to tears. Sarah
had lost over 63 kilograms. What I saw in that moment was not just a record of
an incredible journey, made by a strong, determined, beautiful person, but a
tiny glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, I could do it too.
Sarah O'Brien
My two Sarahs were, have been and always will be a major
source of my inspiration. Not only did they walk the path before me and show me
that it could be done, they showed me how. What they probably don’t realise is
that they, in their own ways, both helped me to slowly build a small measure of
faith in myself that this elusive dream could become a reality, and that I
could do it. Yes ... even me.
I will always be in their debt for this.
My Motivation
At the beginning of this crazy trip, my motivation was a little
eclectic and maybe even a bit misguided. My reasons for wanting to lose weight
have changed significantly along the way and I would much prefer to only talk
about the most intelligent ones, but, from the start, here they are:
My reason for losing weight was to look like other women that I thought were attractive (thin, looked good in jeans, could wear a belt and not look like a sack of potatoes)
As time went on:
Firstly, to look like myself in my younger
days (when I could wear a belt and looked good in jeans myself!) Secondly, to
get down one more dress size, and then another, and another!
Further down the track:
My reasons for losing weight shifted again. I wanted to be the best version of myself
that I could be. At this point, I realised that the only person I was in
competition with was myself, and I was winning.
More recently:
My motivation was about getting fit, I wanted to tone up my arms, shoulders
and other bits that were starting to look smaller, but not all that great. I
had also started running at this stage and I wanted to run further, faster and
for longer.
My motivation had shifted from having a negative body-image and
wanting a positive one, to a more fitness-based way of thinking. I wanted to be
stronger, fitter, faster and last longer. Suddenly, it wasn’t about size or weight any
more.
Most recently:
My reasons to stay motivated are One: to lift
heavier, to maintain the lean muscle that I now have (and am extremely proud
of!) Two: to keep running and gradually increase the distances that I run and
reduce the times that I run them. It is now all about beating that last PR and
just getting better.
How do I stay motivated?
I look at all the hard work I’ve done and I am just so
determined to never go back. This is my life now and I am living it.
Three things that motivate me:
Goals ... Success ... Intrinsic Reward.
The other key way that I keep myself motivated is that I set
new goals all the time and strive hard to reach them.
I have never stopped
setting goals, and as far as I am concerned, reaching my goal weight was just
the beginning.
If I set my goals in a way that they are achievable, the
feeling of success that comes with achieving them is reward enough. This is a
huge motivating factor for me. This is intrinsic motivation: where you set a
goal, make a plan on how you intend to achieve it, and then when you do, it
drives you forward toward your next goal. From then on, I just kept setting new goals. Looking back to see how much I had achieved made me more determined not to go back. The goals started taking on a different focus, but they were crucial to my continued success. The focus now wasn't about losing weight any more. It was to become better, faster, and stronger. The best part about intrinsic motivation is that the
achievement of the goal is its own reward.
My Commitment:
Commitment is a big word, with an even bigger meaning.
Without it, I could have had as much inspiration and motivation as the world
could give, but it would not have been enough.
That day that the two Sarahs had worked their magic on me
and I had finally (finally!) made the decision to change my life and lose the
weight, I made a commitment to myself that I would do it.
Of course there was
doubt. With a history of failure, of course I am going to doubt the likelihood
of success. But, nevertheless, doubts and all, the commitment had been made. It
was like a pledge or a promise that I made to myself that I would do everything
in my power to look after myself and that I would see it through.
This
commitment doesn’t come easily, but with that change of mindset, a positive
thinking attitude, inspiration and motivation intact, I was ready. I was ready
to make the changes that I had dreamed of for many years.
Whenever I feel that commitment waning, I think back to my
inspiration and to my ever-changing motivation and I make the commitment again.
There is no turning back.
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