Friday, January 13, 2012

On Motivation...

It's easy to be lazy.

It's easy to get up in the morning, settle in by the fire with my coffee and my laptop and or a good book,  cuddled under a cozy quilt.

It's easy to stay there FAR too long.

It's easy to waste the time I tout as oh-so-precious.

My time IS precious. It is my single most valuable possession. There are a mere 1440 minutes in every day and I get to choose how I spend them. In my heart of hearts I deeply desire to steward my time wisely. Yet, like most people, I am no stranger to sloth-like behavior. 

So what should I do when I suddenly realize that I have wasted nearly half of my day (or more)? The way I see it, I could continue wasting my day, or I could get up and get busy! Think about it, this applies to other areas of life too... does one slip up in dietary intake mean the whole day is written off so I might as well just eat junk? Or do I have the power and ability to stop it right then and there? If I wake up in a foul mood, do I have to continue like that for the whole day?

On good days, it's at the very moment when I realize that I could be spending my time more wisely that this soundtrack plays in my head. (My apologies if any of you are offended by any part of the video.)

I DO have the power! I CAN do that task that has been hanging over my head for weeks and opening the door for all sorts of negative self-talk. I CAN get out of the chair and lace up my runners. I WILL put down the chips and salsa. I CHOOSE to be a nicer person to be around.

And you know what I've found? I've found that by getting up and take that first step, by crossing one item (no matter how insignificant) off The List, I feel like I've achieved something and I'm suddenly eager to do more.

The first step truly is the hardest to take. 

I'm out of my "chair" (now)... are you?

(P.S. I am in NO way saying that I think it's wrong to take a day off sometimes.... just sayin'...)


4 comments:

  1. GOOD one, Mel. I find myself in this place a lot. Especially when I am made to be in my "chair" far too much because of my physical situation.

    Thank you for sharing.

    Also, we in the US can't see the video, but I know EXACTLY which one it is....and I totally get it!

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  2. Thanks, Shawna Lee.

    I'm sad that you can't see the video! For anyone wondering, it's a YouTube clip from Bruce Almighty, the song "I've Got the Power." That version is the best. ;)

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  3. I love "the Power!" :-) I don't know how on earth I'd take that first step without it some days!

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  4. Very encouraging. Thanks Melanie!

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