Do what makes you happy

Motivation is tough work.  Drawing energy from all the right places to take steps forward can be hard core when you're in a place of uncommitted comfortableness.  So, is there are a problem in being too comfortable?

I think you need to know your limitations, but I have this habit of not trusting my instincts about what does make me happy.  Sometimes I just don't do enough.  Of course when I talk about limitations, if you're thinking that mass murder will make you happy, then I recommend you stop reading right now and get some help, catch my drift?

You do have to commit yourself when the outcome will possibly be something that matches your values, or what's important to you.  Finding your intention to committing to whatever activity it is will possibly bring about the happy outcome you're after.  I remember when my best friend Renee moved to the country with her husband and son, that it was going to mean less time spent with each other and a concern that we would be distant.  But we weren't, in fact our friendship is the strongest it's ever been.

Why?  There was a motivation to work at it and it's a timely motivation.  We know there's a time and place for everything. For Renee, there's a time for her family, a time for her husband, a time for her work, time for herself and then there's time with me and it all fits into place.  It's also the same for me.  In everything I do, I'm deliberate in having some time for something that's just so worthwhile.  So even when we are 200km apart, a 2 hour drive away seems like 5 minutes because everything and every moment has it's place and we see each other we have a ball over the littlest things.  For example, we were in hysterics by simply playing a trivia game and Renee saying "ching"and doing an air tick with every question I got right.

Something for me to carry into what I'm affectionately calling Stage Two is to apply the same principles to Stage Two.  I have to find motivation to keep going so I have to do what makes me happy.  I also have to do the things that just simply have to be done.  What do I mean?  Well, every day I have a shower because it has to be done.  I don't celebrate a shower, I don't "yaaahhhoooo" because I did it.  I just do it.

Exercise is no different.  It doesn't have to be cheered and yahooed at, but it does have to be done.  Classic weight loss comes out of a balance of calories in vs calories out and I have to ramp up the calories out.  So, I'm committing to three sessions a week with Katelyn, my niece/personal trainer, and together we are going to do "Run for the kids" in March.

Woo!

Exercise is needed, but doing "Run for the kids" is what makes me happy.  Helping others and helping myself.  Having a fun day out even though the thought of a fun run sounds like an oxymoron to me.  And hey, if you want to join me then by all means let me know at nicky@thefridgepickerstories.com or through the Fridge Picker Community Facebook page and we'll meet up.  But this is what I want to do.

And I'm going to do more things like that, and heck, why not?  Renee was talking to me about how her family went to Torquay beach for a sunset swim and they had an absolute ball.  Their motivation was to do what made them happy.  I bought myself a brand new guitar and I've downloaded an app to teach myself how to play it because doing new things out of the norm makes me happy.  I sometimes turn on the Xbox and play a game because that makes me happy.  I bake for work colleagues because that makes me happy. I get some retail therapy happening because that makes me happy.

And today, on a random Sunday morning, I share my thoughts with you all because this is what makes me happy.

Do what makes you happy.  The very fact that you can associate such a powerful emotion like happiness to the activity should be motivation enough.

Cheers