Just Do It.

At Thing 1 and my running class on Monday evenings, the usual format is to have a short talk for half an hour, and then we go out and run with the group. Last week we had a physiotherapist talk to us about how to exercise to avoid injuries and such. He was very good; informative, concise and very helpful. This week's talk was about motivation, which interested me very much. I am a classic case of unmitigated sloth, and I hate a challenge. I've spent my life getting beyond that, so the guy who came to talk to us on Monday had my undivided attention.

He spoke well enough about what motivated HIM, but that actually has little bearing on MY circumstances. (I guess the idea is that I hire him on a more formal level, and pay his fee, to figure that one out.) He talked about competition, and using your own need to win to make you work a little harder. That does nothing for me; I think I am the most uncompetitive person God ever made. You want to beat me at something? Go ahead, I couldn't care less. In fact, I'd probably not even notice.
At one point he said how important it was to give yourself a goal to work for. I asked how you managed to keep that goal as a goal, because I have no problem whatsoever in changing the goal according to my whim. I can say I want to run for 5 straight minutes, but I can just as easily decide that 4 is A-okay by me. (The Loudshoes family motto is "That'll do".) And his answer? "Well, you just have to." Really? THAT'S the big motivational talk? Are you kidding me?
(Maybe I should become a motivational speaker and spout words of wisdom like "Don't give up" and "You can do it!"I could branch out and write a best-selling diet book called "Maybe You Shouldn't Eat That", and a financial book called "Stop Buying Things You Can't Afford". I'd make millions!)

I went out and ran with the class, and it was really hard, but I paid good money for it, so I did it anyway. So, I guess I have figured out what motivates me: Money. And pride. And the thought of a nice cold glass of Riesling when I get home. I think those could motivate anyone.