We've talked about choice before. I talked about my experience with the little choice to not have a piece of cheesecake and how our habits make up our life. I encouraged you to change the choices you make on a daily basis, to bring them into alignment with your goals.
Today I'd like to talk about why it's important that *you* choose to make the changes in your life. It can be easy to succumb to peer pressure and in some cases that pressure can be positive. But if you don't make those positive choices for yourself, you won't stick with the new behaviors and thought processes. That's just the truth of human nature.
It all comes back to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. We've talked about that before, briefly. Extrinsic motivation is when there's something outside yourself that is pushing you to make your choices. This may be a spouse or doctor who is concerned about your health, it may be a parent or a friend, it may be that you're not happy with the person you are right now, or it could even be that you saw something inspiring on TV. All of these things are external - they're outside yourself, putting pressure on you. These are great for getting you started, but once the pressure is released there has to be something that holds you to your decisions so you keep making the choices to become who you want to be.
That's where intrinsic motivation comes in. If you have a reason that is all your own, that comes from inside yourself, then your intrinsic motivation will keep you going on the path you chose. The key there is that it has to be a path you chose. You have to be the one to make the decision for yourself and for your own reasons.
Today, take some time to examine the choices you make on a regular basis. What big decisions are driving those little decisions? Have you chosen your own path, or have you allowed someone else to choose for you? It's never too late to change the direction your life is taking. You only have to choose.
No comments:
Post a Comment