Motivation

Goal setting and actually writing down those goals are an integral part of achieving something. Now it’s time to walk the path.

After setting your goal, the next step is just that – to take the next step. Begin your journey by beginning action! While it seems easy to begin your action steps, it often proves tough to continue over time. Zig Ziglar once said, “Motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.” This is so true!

What you must have to continue down the path to your goals is to find your WHY.

When I was 460 pounds, I desperately needed my WHY to begin what seemed like an endless journey to a healthy weight. My WHY was revealed to me on evening at home! I was sitting on the couch watching television. My daughter, Mary Claire, came in and said, “Daddy, I want to be just like you!” I was so proud! Then she dropped the bomb – “I want a belly just like yours.”

I was mortified! I had a 69.5-inch stomach! How could I continue being this kind of role model to my 7-year old daughter and 9-year old son? I am the leader in my house, and I was leading my family down the wrong path! Well, that was the day my WHY was born! And on the Biggest Loser when I felt like quitting (which was a thousand times a day!), I thought of Mary, David and Darci! I wasn’t going to lead them in the wrong direction any longer! All I had to do was picture Mary’s freckled-face at 7 years old saying those words to me again and I would begin to work out even harder!

Another example is Danny Boyle, an outdoorsman whose arm became trapped by a boulder while climbing. He was trapped for 127 hours! He finally found the courage to take his cheap multi-tool and amputate his own arm. Most people would simply die there, but Danny saw a vision on his 5th day of being trapped. A small boy said, “Daddy, can we play now?” A vision of his unborn son became his WHY; he amputated his own arm to realize his vision of having a family. His experience was made into a movie and has inspired many to get through their circumstances.

Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, was a Nazi concentration camp survivor. During his stay in the camp, he had a vision – a vision of himself standing in front of a crowded auditorium and speaking on his camp experience. From that point on, his goal was to get through each day so he could realize his vision and help the world understand the human condition when all has been taken away. He survived and has helped millions with his experiences.

What is your WHY? Have you even thought about it? Whether it’s a person, a cause, or something else, you must find your WHY and post it everywhere to remind yourself to LOSE YOUR QUIT and realize your dreams! Remember what Jillian Michaels said to me one day – “If you find your WHY, you can tolerate any how.”