I wonder what motivated THIS guy --- Wikipedia Author: Otto Acron
Last night I was unable to sleep, which is unusual these days. I was thinking of all the things I needed to do this week. Some felt only like tasks. Like errands and bill paying and appointments. But then there was other stuff.
If you live much of your hours online there’s the updating and posts to tweet and pictures to pin. Seems we’re always documenting our every moment. So I started to think about why.
Some of the things that came to mind made me feel I needed to ask myself some questions.
So I made myself a little checklist to sort of check myself and my motives.
I asked…
Is this necessary for work?
Translated: Am I required to do this by the people that pay me or the people that I committed to doing something for?
Is this positive and helpful?
Do I feel that I’m contributing something worthwhile and purposeful?
Will it affect someone in a positive way and add good to the community?
Or is it really just about me?
Ouch.
Do I want people to think I’m awesome? Do I want people to tell me I am?
Ouch. Ouch.
Usually I find when I am wanting to self-promote it’s because I want to elevate myself. If I elevate myself, where does that leave others? It’s a something inside myself I don’t want there. What’s funny about it, even if it feels good for a moment, it sort of feels yucky afterwards. Kind of like eating too much pizza or cake. You almost can’t stop yourself in the moment, but it’s a bit nauseating in the end.
How is this related to health and fitness?
With a new year came new goals. Goals are awesome and necessary to accomplish important things in our lives.
But even health and fitness can be fueled by intentions that might not be so healthy.
Our insides motivate us to make choices for the outside. But fitness and health can be two very different things. Fitness can be just about me. How I look to myself and how others think I look. That can actually fuel unhealthy eating patterns to keep body fat low, and it can ultimately lead to health problems.
But health says I care.
I care about my health because when I’m healthy I can contribute, uplift, support, and motivate. Healthy means vibrant and energetic and full of life. When I see my health as something other than about promoting me, it becomes a lifestyle and part of who I am. It drives me to elevate someone else like the love of my life, my kids, my friends, and my peers.
I’m making a commitment to check myself every morning for motives. I know I’ll fall short at times. I’ll shovel in that greasy piece of pizza.
But I’m hoping that eventually it will become a part of a healthy lifestyle.
Do motives come to mind when you go through your day? Or does it really matter?
