Motivation

I have been seeing a number of people posting Dalai Lama sayings and one in particular caught my eye several months ago. He was asked what surprised him about humanity. "Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived." We only can make ourselves happy ultimately, but how we do so is just as important.

Trying to be motivated, or even motivating others is difficult. There are thousands of things that make us tick. Realizing that we have skills, some of which are untouched, and trying to make the most of them should be an important part of our lives. When I switched careers, I had realized that I wasted years of my life in the computer industry never applying myself, or having my employer tap into what I was capable of. It disappointed me so much that I left and never looked back.

Teaching allows me to professionally apply many skill sets and try to get great outcomes. Being creative, tapping into others abilities, and trying to turn those into positive outcomes is a great thing. However, I wasn't applying this to myself.

We are ticking clocks. We can't live forever. Every second that ticks off the clock and is not applied to getting the most out of yourself is a wasted second. This past week I was disappointed that I have lost a few years, and resolved to not allow that to happen. On the bike, I became motivated differently, knowing that there are skills and potential that haven't been tapped into. Despite my age, there is still a possibility of success. Resolving to not allow those seconds to go away without applying them to your own development can be a great motivator to start 2012.

The real start for 2012

I posted a few months back that I was getting started again. That didnt work out as good as I had hoped. Teaching was in the way, and getting comfortable. Now that things are rolling, I have been able to pull things into order and truly get on my bike.
Just this week has shown good success. I have dropped 3 pounds, and rode 4 of 5 days. One day I didnt ride because of blood work and doctor appointments. I have a routine down now that I plan on sticking with. I look forward to 2012 knowing that I can make progress, and have a workable plan.
By the end of January I will be down to 200 pounds or lower I hope. Judging by this week, I know I can do it. I will push very hard to get to 190 as quickly as possible. During this time I am just putting time and getting miles in. I am not doing anything crazy, just using my time wisely to something I want to do.
I am planning my first race the last weekend of February. I will just ride it for experience, but have no expectations. In March I will do other races locally for training and to get back in the swing of things. I hope to have my weight down below 180 by then. With the diet I have set, that shouldnt be an issue.
In April I will do my first race in California. I look forward to it since I miss racing there so much. The competition, the feel and the events are so much more fun. I will race in Ontario or Dominguez at least once in April and then go on from there through the summer.
I am more motivated now than I had been before. Seeing progress is important as well. My wife is making changes as well, so having support, and a lack of temptation to slack will help considerably.