I’m not going to lie. Getting motivated, and staying motivated, is hard for me. I have all these grand plans to start eating better, exercising more, completing projects around the house …. yeah. I’m sure you know the routine. “OK. It’s Monday morning. LET’S GET STARTED!” By Friday afternoon I’ve slipped back into the same old lazy day-to-day slump that has been typical of my life for the last 5 months.
I haven’t always had a hard time getting and staying motivated. I used to run daily and would complete a half dozen or so 10k races a year (I never had the desire do to a half or full marathon, but maybe someday).
I was self-employed and my wife and I ran a successful and very busy handy-man business for a little over 5 years.
I have worked two jobs while renovating houses with the intention of selling them for a profit (flipping) all with the end goal of creating wealth and having free time to do the things I love most. That all takes dedication, determination, and daily motivation!
So why now, in 2020, am I finding it hard to get motivated and to stay motivated? You could say “Well, it is 2020 you know!”
As a reminder for those of you reading this in future years, 2020 was the year of the Covid-19 outbreak that pretty much shut down the world. This is relevant in my life because it put an abrupt end to a dream and huge life goal.
My wife and I started a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail on March 4th. By March 22nd, with only 119.5 miles of the trail completed, we were forced to end our journey and go home.
Embarking on this 2,193 mile journey that would take us approximately six months and allow us to travel, on foot, through fourteen states took years of research for the best gear, footwear, food, etc., not to mention finding a trusted individual to take care of our dog, extensive planning for the best towns to send resupply boxes to, the best hostels/hotels to stay at, what to do if one of us should sustain an injury …. not your usual “vacation” by any stretch of the imagination. Having all of this planning and preparation come to a screeching halt after just 19 days into the trip had a huge affect on me mentally.
For weeks after we had made it home I found myself struggling to get into a routine. Struggling to get out of bed at a reasonable time (no, 9:00 AM is not a reasonable time!). Struggling to get motivated. Period. I was irritable, easily triggered, emotional, and just plain unmotivated to do anything.
Fast forward to September 2020. The answer to the question posed at the beginning – What motivated you to create a blog? – is found in all of what you just read. I am motivated to write this blog because I love going out for morning runs and participating in 10k races! I am motivated to write this blog because I want to have the satisfaction of working for myself and making a difference in someone’s life again! Because I have created a life that I can be proud of! Because we (my wife and I) WILL return to the Appalachian Trail next year and complete our dream journey! I am motivated to create this blog because I believe that because of my life experiences I have value to give to someone else. That maybe someone will read what I am sharing here in these pages and find the motivation to go out and make a change in their lives, do something that makes a difference for them or for a family member or neighbor.
I am also motivated to create this blog so that I can learn from it.
Each time I sit down to write a post is an opportunity for me to learn something new, either about the topic I have chosen to write about or about myself and my relationships.
Because I want to connect with others and create a community of like-minded individuals who can share experiences and add value to each other’s lives.
Getting your thoughts down on paper (or onto the computer screen) and on public display is scary as it puts you in a very vulnerable position. Much like making YouTube videos of our daily lives, I never know who is going to read these words and how they will perceive my thoughts and how they will respond. I like to think that the content that we create, whether here or on our other social media platforms, will attract folks with similar principles and desires to grow and learn as we have. That our various media outlets will be places of positivity and fun!
This is my motivation. All of this. And so much more! Thank you for being here.
Thoughts shared by Kris
akaTheGirls 