I like to read up on the histories of my heros for inspiration. Usually, they recount defining moments that shaped them, that guided them on their path. This makes me want to look through my own memories for clues to my future destiny, but I wonder if I should.

I mean, my past is kind of dopey in a lot of places. I have actually employed the “Will you be my girlfriend Yes/No” note more than once before, and the last time has been since college. Am I predestined only for doucheyness?

Sir Ranulph Fiennes

If only I could be a consummate badass like Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Thought by some to be the greatest living explorer, he was born a Baronet and grew up to serve in the same army regiment as his father.

I was adopted by my Dad. He served in the Navy during Vietnam. Nothing against the Navy, but I don’t think military service is for me. Does that mean I won’t become a famous polar explorer like Sir Ranulph? Well, probably not, but maybe more because I’m scared my North Pole will freeze off than anything else.

Dr Richard Feynman

Okay, so polar exploration is out. What about success as a physicist? Well, Feynman’s father “taught him to notice things” and then taught him a specific lesson about inertia and Newtonian mechanics.

My dad had trouble teaching me anything at all because I am naturally only slightly less stubborn than a wheel of hard cheese. Dang. I’m probably not cut out to be a physicist. There goes that Nobel Prize.

Sir Isaac Newton

Speaking of Newton, I probably won’t end up holding the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics as he did, a position now held by Stephen Hawking, because an apple has never fallen from a tree and given me a grand insight about gravity.

I also don’t care much for math. Does that matter?

Maybe if I hang around in orchards more, greatness will conk me on the head. Anyone want to go find an orchard this weekend?

It would make for a relaxing afternoon, I’m sure, but I don’t think that actually happened to Newton. I think he told that story because it was a nice frame for some ideas that took him a long time to work out.

Be Your Own Kind of Hero

I don’t know everything, but my opinion is that it doesn’t matter what you have been, only what you will be. I spent a great deal of time in my life very unhappy and quite fat just because that’s how I’d been up until that point.

You can change instantly. All you have to do is decide that things are going to be be different from now on, and the change is made. That is the hardest part. Sticking to it is hard too, but the hardest thing is to strike out in a new direction to begin with. I urge you to give it a try, though.

I still think that there’s a lot to be learned from heros. I just think we’d do well to realize that these people are cherry picking their past experiences for stories that are relevant to however they turned out. What you are now has nothing to do with what you were then except that you had to go through there to get to here.

You can still be everything you ever wanted to be and more.

My friend Alan messaged me yesterday about motivation. He said that he wants to work out more but he doesn’t have any friends who are working out regularly to help motivate him, and he wonders how I get myself out the door.

It’s a good question, because I have got to be the laziest person in the world. For me to work out at all, let alone five or six days a week, is nothing short of a miracle, and Alan remembers me from a time when I was more likely to lay down six hot dogs than six miles. He and I lived together many years ago. His fraternity name was Whiteboy, and I believe I may be the last remaining person who calls him that.

Restless to be Better

I guess the short answer is I’m motivated because I want the kinds of things that Alan has. He has a beautiful, macromolecular chemist for a wife. He’s got cute kids, a great job, and a nice house. He likes cars and races autocross events. Even his parents and brother are awesome.

I guess what I’m saying is I’m learning a lesson from Alan merely because he asked me about motivation. Alan is living the American dream, but he’s still restless to be better.

Also I think it bears mentioning that everyone is going to have their own motivations, so even if I tell you everything that motivates me (e.g. boobies) it won’t necessarily work for you. You may not even care about boobies that much.

That said, here are a few thoughts.

Do Not Rely on Work Out Partners

It seems like this would work better than it does. If I agree that Alan and I are going to work out then that will motivate me to get to get out the door, right?

What actually happens is we become two points of failure together. If Alan’s too busy one day, and let’s face it he’s got a lot on his plate, I might say “Hm, well I should work out but Alan isn’t going…” and then end up working out the fastest way to get Fritos into my fat mouth while lying on a couch.

It’s much better to rely on no one but yourself for your workout schedule. If other people want to come along, that is awesome, but I found that I was likely to adopt less productive habits if I relied on others. Having said that…

Workout Groups are Great

I had a lot of luck with joining run groups, workout clubs and race teams. Pretty much every bike shop in the world leads at least one ride a week. It’s the same with running shoe stores. Look up when their group runs or group rides are, and go do them often enough that if you miss one people ask you where you were the next time you go.

There are also running clubs, tri clubs, cycling clubs — clubs out the wazoo, and you don’t have to be a world class athlete to join them. Most of the people in them are regular folks just trying to live a fit life.

I swam every Monday night as part of Peachtree Tri Club in Georgia Tech’s pool for a year and a half… wearing a speedo. I’m talkin’ full on speedo with my fat guy belly and hairy back and no one said a word about it other than “Welcome”.

And hey, you might meet some friends… possibly even some friends who are interested in sharing their boobies with you. I’m just saying, there are a lot of benefits.

Get Going!

Probably the best thought I can share is just get going, whatever it takes. Make working out a part of your life, even if you start in a teeny tiny way.

If you can stand up, get your shoes on and walk out the door you’ve done the hard part. The actual workouts are a snap!