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Erik’s Fat Boy Motivation: We all have different reasons for doing what we are doing. Mine is to ultimately fit back into my dress blues. But along the way there are different goals and reasons I am striving for: losing fat, toning muscle, building functional strength, being healthier, breaking terrible habits… and the list goes on. Do you remember why you started? Are you dreaming of someone else’s end result? In Disney terms are you Cinderella dreaming for Snow White’s life?
If you are setting your short term goals and they are hard to reach is that the right goal for you right now? Its not a bad thing to look at someone’s ability (being able to do pull ups… that’s my goal) and want that for yourself. But don’t picture you being that person meeting that goal. You have to visualize yourself reaching it. My bride wrote about comparison recently and she is right we cannot compare ourselves to anyone else except us. Yet we get trapped into this mentality if I don’t wear this as well as so and so then its not for me or if I don’t look like so and so then I still have more to go. Please don’t get sucked into this mentality. You have to do you.
We had a saying in my division when I was in the Navy, “No one looks after self like self”. I am not going to look like Jason Statham, but that does not mean I cannot work for certain qualities that he has: how well he can wear a suit, some of his physical prowess that kind of thing. It wouldn’t be fair to me to push to compare or even set that as a goal, but to along the way pick out things like pull ups, swim times, etc that is completely ok.
Its like the principle of the Yard Sale Blessing. I like yard sales and you can find some great stuff there, but you are buying something someone else doesn’t want anymore. They paid full price, got the best use out of it for those first couple of years, and now are looking to get rid of it because they no longer have need of it. Yet, we go out seeking the discarded treasures of others. We will wake up early, drudge out the door ready to haggle on whatever forgotten nick-nak we come across that we might get a year or two out of and brag about the deal we found. Instead, what treasure could you have been working for that someone else might desire? Please don’t read that as me promoting coveting or jealousy, but what wish or dream for your life are you overlooking because you are so focused on someone else? Are you too afraid to try because you think to be healthy you have to fit a certain mold? That’s crap and the sad part is so many people believe it. Sometimes you have to start small… today I will spend and hour less on the couch. Today, I will drink water instead of soda. When you are greatly overweight like I was it starts with small simple changes for the best, most lasting results.
I cannot be discouraged about not winning a 5k if I never work for it. Make sure your goals and reasons for being more healthy are your reasons and not the borrowed ones of someone else. Push and train for faster running times, lifting heavier weights, being a dress size or 12 smaller… but make sure it is your dream not some addled brain nonsense you think you “should be”. Give yourself permission to properly dream for your life and set wise and healthy goals!
Have a great day and a great work out and happy dreaming!
Erik
Erik's Fat Boy Motivation 