My Motivation Has a Name...Almost

On March 28, (give or take) I’m going to become a dad for the first time. This thought is inconceivable to me, yet seems perfectly natural.

Friends and family promise me that I’m in for the biggest and best adventure of my life. In the next breath, they also warn me that I’m in for thousands of the craziest, most maddening days I’ll ever hope to see.

And I’m cool with that. Because there’s a thought that calms me down and pushes me forward every day – he (for sake of discussion) only wants one thing right now. And I know that I can give it to him.

Sure, he’ll need a house and a room and a place to sleep. He’ll need Halloween costumes, birthday candles and hidden Easter eggs. When he’s 16, he’ll need me to get out of the car so he can pick up his Homecoming date alone. When he’s 30, he’ll probably need me to babysit his kids.

But for now, he really only needs one thing from me – to be at the top of my game. He needs a Dad who’s fit enough, healthy enough and happy enough to do what needs done and have fun doing it. He needs a Dad with enough energy reserves to light up Sioux City, Iowa. He needs a Dad who’ll be playing on the floor more than lying on the couch. He needs a quick, clear thinker, a heavy lifter, and an all-around fixer of things mechanical and personal.

I know that as long as I’m fit and healthy, I can give him anything else he needs. This is my main motivation for my fitness goals.

What’s yours?

Have you ever stopped to think about why you really feel the need to lose weight, get in shape or pursue any other goal? Where in your life do you need to be a "heavy lifter"? Is there something big you’d like to achieve? Is someone (your boss, kids, spouse, community) counting on you? Are you counting on yourself?

Your future depends on what you do today. Choices you make now can affect you (and others) for years down the road. Even the smallest decisions – when added up over time – will determine whether you wind up at the top of your game or struggle along with the status quo.



Skipping a workout may not seem like a big deal. But think of what is really motivating you to lose weight. Is it worth risking that for the sake of watching another "Frazier" rerun? Throwing in the towel after eating a few too many cream puffs isn’t hurting anyone – unless you count yourself and your loved ones.

For your weight loss goals to succeed, your main motivation should grip your attention like a new love. Your main motivation is the best reason you can think of for getting up, getting active and getting healthy.

Do you know what yours is?