Motivation

Motivation…what does that word really mean to you? It’s a word that can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but instead of trying to find a permanent definition for it, how about we define an easier word? Excuse.

What’s the definition of excuse?  For me it can be summed up in one word – failure.  When we fail, the first thing we naturally do is look for an excuse to explain away the pain and embarrassment, and some of us need an excuse to justify quitting before we even get started.

We often use excuses as a means to justify avoiding something that we privately know we need to do. That way, we never have to confront the risk of failure   However, if we never start, if we never try, if we never put forth any effort…haven’t we already failed?

So which is easier to live with – knowing that we didn’t even try, or at least trying, and realizing that we couldn’t do it?  At least if we fail while putting forth some effort, we learn what it would take for us to accomplish our goal, and as the “Great One” Wayne Gretzky once stated –

You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.

Here’s the truth…

Excuses are small IOUs we love to write to ourselves.  But the problem with those IOUs is that our credit sucks.  We never pay back the debt that we owe ourselves.  Instead, the IOUs pile up as the older ones are forgotten and newer ones take their place.  Over time, the pile simply grows higher and higher, while the hole we have dug for ourselves becomes deeper and deeper.

It seems we never run out of ink to right those IOUs, do we?  But sooner or later, the debt collector always comes knocking, and all you can say at that point is that you thought you had more time.  Funny thing about time… once itpasses, it never returns.

Now, I don’t want anyone reading this to think that I am not guilty of what I’m critiquing, especially when it comes to goals in life that I never shot a puck at because I feared failure.  I’ve made so many excuses that most of my adult life has been spent paying back the debt that I owe myself.

Every single day of my life, rather than wasting time arguing with myself about what’s most important (my work, my next meal, watching the next episode of Gilligan’s Island…this list could go on forever!), I remember that those things really don’t matter in the big picture, especially when paying off the debt that I owe to myself. The most important one, spending time with my family, will actually be increased in the long run because of the good decisions I’m making.

All of this is merely my introduction to a much bigger subject – physical and mental fitness.  I’m going to be writing a series of articles that will make you think about what fitness should mean to your quality of life, as well as your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

Not only will I give you the tools you need to build a plan that suits your individual needs, I’m also hoping to change your outlook and perspective about what physical and mental fitness should really mean to you.

By the end of this series, I want you to imagine that you are at a crossroads, holding the tools that you need to succeed and choosing to take the first positive step toward transforming your life because I’ve helped you realize how easy it could be for you to accomplish those goals.

You are on this page for a reason, and if you’re still reading, I’m assuming what I’m talking about interests you, and perhaps all you need to start this journey is self-assurance and confidence. Your eyes are opening to a world that you are not completely satisfied with, but you are hungry for the personal confidence needed to actually do something about it.

The first step that needs to be taken is to understand one simple truth – everyone has to start somewhere.  Some are just starting out, some are a few rungs up the ladder, and some may be a little closer to the top.  Where you are initially doesn’t matter. What matters is where you are going to be.  Envision your goals, and I’ll help you develop the confidence needed to conquer your fear in order to accomplish them.

As a final note, I want you to leave you with this picture.  This is Dawn.  Dawn has breast cancer, and as some of you probably know from firsthand experience, cancer is a bitch.

Regardless of Dawn’s situation, take a look at where she is now!  I knew Dawn before her cancer diagnosis, and I see her now at the exact same place she was in when I met her.  Dawn has a real world excuse to miss going to the gym, and not a single one of us would fault her for staying home.  But there she is, with a smile on her face, refusing to write that debt to herself.

James R. Gibson,

Senior Instructor, MALC Training Institute