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Question: I seem to lack willpower, whether it’s eating too much junk food or lying on the couch instead of exercising. What can I do to change this?
Answer: Your problem is motivation. Turn your question around and ask, “What is your
motive?” When you’re in touch with that, you have an easier time succeeding. Search for your motive. It could be health, wellness, a quality lifestyle, longevity, competition, maintaining your shape, whatever. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to eat better?” You derive motivation from your motive. Although I prefer internal motivation, you can also set up external motivations in the form of a reward system: “If I eat well for six days, on the seventh day I can have whatever I want.” Often, you won’t pig out on the seventh day because you like the progress you’ve made.
Question: I recently ran well in a local race. Now I feel like I’m expected to do well all the time. I’m feeling a lot of pressure and I’m not having fun anymore. Any suggestions?
Answer: First, stop buying into others’ expectations. Create your own expectations. For
instance, expect continued improvement over time. Expect to feel good about participating in
races—the adrenaline, the excitement. Expect to do your very best. Expect to have fun. Direct your expectations toward the process—learning about yourself, digging deep. Your finishing place and time are one-dimensional. They’re by-products of the race. There are many more reasons to race than the outcome. We quickly learn what we’re made of; we learn the truths of life through racing.
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