What motivates you?

This windbreaker was my grandpa’s from college. When I wear it, I feel unstoppable. When I run in it, I can hear him cheering me on at my soccer and volleyball games growing up. He was my number one fan –he loved my passion for sports, and I loved his excitement and support.

One of the last things he gave me was the book, “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.”

If only he knew how much that small gesture sparked such a huge change in my life path.

The funny thing is, at the time, I didn’t even know how this book, this last gift of his, would spark my passion for health and wellness and motivate me to get to where I am today.

So that got me thinking…what is it that motivates people?

Our society is obsessed with finding your “motivation.” Whether that’s pictures of others on Instagram, an exact pant size to fit in, or some goal weight to hit.

But sometimes we may not be aware of what is motivating us, silently shaping us into who we become. Sometimes we can’t put into words what is driving us to make the decisions we do. And so we convince ourselves that only tangible results can act as motivators and then get frustrated with ourselves for not following through and achieving our goals.

Here’s the thing.

Motivation doesn’t have to be some concrete outcome, some measurable goal to achieve. Although measurable goals are important to define when beginning one’s health journey, the most important aspect of your transformation is finding the motivation behind these tangible goals. Otherwise, any tangible goal becomes just that, tangible, and has no sense of passion or drive backing it up. This makes it very easy to lose site of why you’re on this health journey and fall off track.

The trick is, these deep motivating factors that are driving our choices and actions are not always easy to “find” and put into words.

So I invite you to ask yourself the tough questions.

Ask yourself, why you want what you want.

And then ask yourself again. And again.

Until you dig deep enough to find what’s truly driving you to make this change and reach your goals.

Remember that motivation comes in all shapes and forms and will continue to change and evolve as you do. Know that your motivation is yours – what motivates me will not necessarily motivate you – so it’s time to ask yourself the hard questions and allow yourself to take the time to get curious about your answers. Allow yourself to take the time to find what truly motivates you.

Because it’s time to LIVE.YOUR.BEST.LIFE.

P.S. – Grandpa, you will always be my hero. You taught me the importance of finding what motivates you and to never lose sight of that. (And I will always be thankful for this awesome retro windbreaker that just so happens to have my last name on it too).