Connect Simply

I’ve always had at least one child on our local school’s swim team. I think it has become a family tradition. They work hard year around. During Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, they are in the pool and gym first thing in the mornings, working out. Races have been won and lost by as much as a fraction of a second.

At practice one day the coach challenged my 16 year old to swim a series of laps each under a certain time, something he hadn’t done before. The reward for meeting that goal was a fully loaded breakfast sandwich. Guess what? My son was soon enjoying his breakfast sandwich. Saturday we had a swim meet, one of the strokes my son swims is the 100 yard breast stroke. This coach gave him a new challenge. To swim this event in under 1 minute 10 seconds. He has never done that before either, but if he knocks a few seconds off his time he has a good chance of making it to the state meet. Another fully loaded breakfast sandwich was promised. His time 1 minute 7.9 seconds!

Lesson learned, this 16 year old is very motivated by food. (But what do you expect from a 6 foot and growing, active, 16 year old?)

We are each motivated by our desires, the goals we want to reach in life, who we are, who we are becoming. As the new year starts we are busily making and breaking resolutions. Take one goal you want to reach. What will motivate you to taking action and following through on that goal?

Some people thrive on rewards. Lose 10 pounds and have that large piece of chocolate cake. (No wonder they call it a yo-yo diet.)

Others thrive on challenges, competition, a deadline to meet. And I’ve seen others get all stressed with deadlines. Fear of loss is another motivating factor. The thrill of personal victory motivates others.

My question to all, What motivates you to taking action? Accomplishing more? Being the best you can be?

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