False Motivators

I completed a triathlon once. Don’t be impressed. It was a mini-triathlon, and I completed it for the following reasons:

1.  It was less than a year after baby number one, and I felt guilty about how I looked.

2.  We just moved, and the one potential friend I met said we could train together.

3.  I wanted people to “Ohh and Ahh” and tell me (or at least think in their heads), “Wow, you are a running, biking, swimming, rock star” or in my case, mini-rock star.

I completed a triathlon because of guilt, peer pressure, and my desire to impress an imaginary audience.

I hated every second of training and despised the time it took away from my family. Instead of helping me get in shape, training shaved off too much weight, too fast, and instead of feeling strong, and healthy, I felt dizzy, and not at all rock-star-like.

In the end, I dragged my sorry butt across the finish line and didn't work out again for months.

The factors motivating me proved weak, temporary, and not strong enough to give me real results.

Superficial analysis and superficial focus always lead to superficial and temporary change. —Steve Harris, New Life Community Church

Change doesn’t come because of fake, weak reasons, and when we use false motivators such as guilt, peer pressure, or the desire to impress, change is always temporary.

Question for you: What was the last real change you made? What is motivating you to stick with that change? Can you think of a change you attempted to make that didn’t last long because you were motivated by the wrong thing?

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I’m linking with the fab, Michelle D. at Graceful where she asks readers to share part of the sermon they heard Sunday or blog about what God has been "whispering or shouting" at them. I’m also linking with my girl, Jen, who is planning a Texas retreat this fall. Want to come? Good. You are invited.

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