Tag: slump

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Within or Without Motivation

 

Almost exactly four years ago, I was laid off from my job as a graphic designer, and fell into my lowest of lows of my young professional adulthood. I felt so little self-worth, and like all hope was lost… until something clicked inside me, and I just got annoyed enough with my pathetic attitude and choices that I decided to change. That little light bulb was the initial push I needed to really change my lifestyle and begin prioritizing my health. Somehow, things started to finally make sense – that I had control over my pant size and my attitude equally – that I could and would change if I wanted to.

That fresh beginning from a depressing end came from a deep internal motivation to do something better with my life. A deep, inner drive to be happier, live healthier, be more, act on my values and beliefs. It’s what got me started, and what keeps me going to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and not completely fall back into “pre-weight-loss” habits for good.

However… there are plenty of periods when that internal drive fails me. It’s just not enough! Yes, I want to “be healthy”… I want to be happy…. But in moments of weakness and frustration, “be healthy” just isn’t inspiring enough. “Be happy”…? Well, one dozen chocolate chip cookies can fill that need right now!

There are times when internal motivation is just too immeasurable. It’s not immediate, it doesn’t give me the here-and-now jolt that I need to stick to my resolutions.

 And you know what? That is totally okay.

Recognizing that internal motivation may not always be enough force to get you moving does not mean it doesn’t exist. I think to some degree, internal motivation is present in all of us. Who among us doesn’t long to be healthy and happy? I’d venture to guess everyone longs for those things – and those are internal desires.

 But internal motivation can be silent some days. Sometimes for long periods of time. And when we lack the strength to rise up from a deep will, it’s time to turn externally.

I think a part of me – and perhaps some of you – has thought that “external motivation” like rewards, or a specific date/event, or physical feat or accomplishment is somehow inferior to that pure internal driving will. But I’m here to say that depending on where you are in your journey and life, both internal and external drive are needed and equally valuable!

 After that initial spark in my journey to a healthier body and mind, the internal inspiration quickly waned. I found that working out was HARD… it wasn’t immediately rewarding, and I hurt and wanted to quit. Counting my calories… that sucked too! It took so much willpower and self-control, I wanted to give that up! So what kept me going through that?

 External rewards. Measurable progress. Specific dates, events, dresses, and physical challenges.

 I set up rewards for pounds lost, for weeks of consistent exercise, for meeting my calorie goals. I scheduled races to train for, bought a dress in a size too small and hung it on my door. I planned a vacation for 8 months down the line, and set my mind on wearing a two-piece swimsuit with confidence. I committed to these external forces to help push me through to my ultimate goal of getting healthy and being happier.

So often in our journeys we ebb and flow through motivation. I know that once I reached my initial goals, and passed those external motivations, I eased back into an internal source of motivation to keep going. I couldn’t stay focused on pounds or rewards, or I would have withered away, and depleted my bank account buying goodies for myself! It was a new identity as a healthy and fit person that kept me going forward with these new habits.

Yet here I am today, three and half years since meeting my first goals, and I’m back to external motivation. The past few months have been awfully crazy, and had me focusing in other areas of my life more than on my own physical and mental health. As life has it, this happens and is totally normal. What’s also normal, though not desirable, is gaining a few pounds every now and again.

Well, I gained a few pounds this winter. Approximately 6 pounds, to be honest. (It’s hibernation weight, right? Blasted cold outside, getting antsy inside.)

I recognize this reality as my needed kick-in-the-rear to get back into prioritizing my health. I’ve not been ridiculously off track, and I still eat a vegan diet (mostly whole foods, but some occasional convenience foods and too much sugar…). But that doesn’t mean I don’t have room for improvement.

It’s back to the wellness center for me. Back to early morning workouts, and juicing. I’ve been food journaling and keeping honest with myself about what I’m putting into my mouth. I have also set a few specific external rewards and motivations for the coming months.

My biggest external motivation is the Mrs. International Pageant, taking place at the end of July. Though the pageant does not include a swimsuit contest (thank goodness), it does have a fitness wear segment. The fitness attire is two-piece, with a sports bra top, and spandex shorts. This thought alone is terrifying enough to get me motivated to work out more consistently, and pause before shoveling in loads of cookies and chocolate. I also purchased my evening gown for the event, and admittedly – it’s a little snug in my hips. I would like to feel radiantly confident in how I look and feel on stage by then, so that thought (along with the sight of my beautiful gown hanging in my office) is keeping me excited about challenging myself again.

The internal motivation to live and stay healthy and happy is still present, though hasn’t been enough lately to keep me reassessing my behaviors. It’s time to turn outward – and keep moving forward.

Whether it is from within or from without, motivation is a beautiful tool to keep you pressing onward. I challenge you today to determine what is the best way to get you moving whatever direction you need, and to not discriminate if that motivation looks like a new pair of shoes in two months, or perhaps a beautiful dress. 

And as always – it comes down to choice. You direct your future success or failures by what you do today. If you’re lacking motivation of any kind, feel free to read this old blog of mine about just that.

Sometimes, it comes down to no motivation at all. Just a choice – right now.

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From the Depths of a Slump

As you know, life has its ups and downs.

The past month for me has been a series of mostly downs, unfortunately.

Those who read/have read my blogs regularly know that I am overall a pretty positive, upbeat person who tends to take change pretty well by comparison to most. I’m a go-go-go girl, and like to charge forward into the horizon with a can-do attitude and gutsy leap into the unknown.

Sometimes, though, I get knocked flat down. And then I just lay there for a while, feeling hurt, sad, mad, frustrated, and sorry for myself.

I started October in my usual manner – go-go-go get ‘em – with the sight for a wild ride of three workshops plus one cooking class to come! I set a goal to prioritize my yoga practice, and stay on-top of my to-do list at home and with work. It was looking all well and good until a phone call on Thursday morning, the 11th of October literally knocked me flat.

I was in yoga practice, and had missed about 8 calls from my mother. I had forgotten my phone at home (truthfully – I am thankful for that), so I didn’t see all the missed calls until I was safe at home, alone. I immediately called her, and was shocked to hear that my Grandma Joan had unexpectedly passed away in her sleep. They found her dead in bed that morning when she didn’t come for breakfast. I collapsed in sobs on the floor of my office, feeling the walls around me crumbling as I tried to process this new reality.

She was gone. Just… gone.

I’ve faced a chain of losses in the past three years of my life, and unfortunately, I see more coming in the not-so-distant future. It seems we each come to a few points in life like this, where we face the deaths of so many of our elder loved ones, be they four-legged or two. In 2008 I lost my Grandpa Abe; in May 2009 I lost my Grandpa Bill, followed by my childhood chocolate lab (my 12 year-old “sister”) before my birthday in July, and then my Grandpa YZ in November 2009. I lost my 18 year-old childhood cat in 2010, and then my other childhood dog Maggie, a 12 year-old golden retriever, in 2011. Despite experiencing these grievances, none have compared to the hole I feel in my life at the loss of my Grandma Joan. We were very close, and she always spoiled me, from when I was a baby to just last month. I loved her very very deeply, and made a point to go for lunch and treats with her often, have her for dinner, and stop by to bring her cookies when I was out and about. 

I share all of this today for a few reasons. First, it is therapeutic for me to express my loss through written word, and second, to illustrate that no matter where we are in life, health, or happiness, there are twists in the road that will inevitably send you into a slump. 

Since 10-11-12, I haven’t really been “myself.” I’m trying to get back into what is a “new normal” for me, but have been struggling to hoist myself from the ditch of grief. I’ve noticed that old crutches and behaviors have resurfaced (particularly emotional eating, and too much sugar), and I’ve felt extra lethargic and tired, like I can sleep forever. I haven’t been as motivated in my yoga practice or workouts, and find myself lacking the drive to DO, like I normally have.

Even those of us who seem to have the “health thing” down pat still fall into slumps. 

But the important thing for me is that I recognize this past month as just that – a temporary slump –not a tailspin into an old way of life. I’ve needed the time to turn inward, experience my pain and struggles, and just exist in it for a bit. I know the process isn’t complete yet, and will I will always have a spot in my heart for my Grandma, but I’m opening up to the change life brought, however untimely it may have been. 

This month, as we head into some of the craziest weeks of the year with the holidays and financial stress they bring, I will continue to take small steps toward reclaiming the me and life that I love and deserve. I can’t change the past. I can’t erase the weeks of pain and emotional eating. What I can dois to understand that like all things, this too shall pass.

Each day we are granted with a new opportunity to create a life and body that we love and cherish. Each day I wake to open my eyes yet again, I must give thanks for the blessing of breath, and possibility. 

If you are in slump like I am, do not fret. It is normal, and part of the journey of life. Even if your slump has been a month, a year, or maybe 10 years, today is a new day. What will you make of it, and how can you learn from the depths of the slump you’ve experienced?
Dedicated in loving memory of Grandma Joan Larson, March 19, 1930 – October 11, 2012 ~ May she live forever on in the lives of the remarkable children and grandchildren she raised.