Find Your “Why?”
Be Kind To Your Future Self
There is a beautiful philosophy that many indigenous people around the world operate on called the 7th Generation Principle. It goes something like, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." If only more of us lived by this creed, the world would be a much better place. This is a very wise approach, but for most of us, we are only able to see one or two generations ahead of us when we consider the well-being of our children and grand-children. Maybe there is an evolutionary reason for our seemingly inherent lack of foresight. I encourage you to follow the same philosophy of the 7th Generation Principle with yourself, but instead of considering the next seven generations, consider your future self.
I am not going to try to convince anyone why he or she should move more or adopt an exercise routine, but if you are reading this you probably already have some interest in improving your daily movement practice and your health. If you have an inkling of an idea of why you want to improve your health, dig a little deeper and find the root of it. Of course you can have many reasons for wanting to exercise or move more, but try to find that one that really gets you fired up. Sit with this question for 15 minutes in silence and see what answers pop up over and over. On the days you really do not feel like moving, coming back to this question is likely to get you off your butt.
What Is Your WHY?
For some it will be prevention of chronic disease. Many people want to change the way they look. Some people just want to feel better. Formulate your reason into a question that you would ask your future self. Whatever age you are, add ten or twenty years and ask your future self, "Do you want to be able to be able to play with your grandchildren without pain?" "Do you want to be able to climb that tree with your daughter?"
For my father, his question is, "Do you want to walk again?" My mom asks herself, "Do I want to stay mentally sharp?"
I ask myself, "Do you want to move without pain?" My future 52 year old self says, "Hell yes. That is a no-brainer." My future self will be very upset with me if I don't take care of my body and mind now.
There really is no wrong answer as long as you are being honest with yourself.
TRY THIS
Once you have defined your "Why?" set a daily alarm or reminder at the time of day you are most likely to exercise and remind yourself of your "Why". If you want extra accountability tell your best friend or your romantic partner to remind you of your "why?". Don't be short-sighted. Your future self will thank you.
Sources:
http://7genfoundation.org/7th-generation/
