About Motivation

Why do I write?

During my not-so-short break from blogging to change platforms I had a discussion with a friend. She asked the question that opens this post.

My friend has spent a second career coaching people to achieve their goals, usually in the area of fitness. So, when she asked me why I write, I knew it was more than a casual question. It was a way of getting me to think about what I really want to accomplish with my writing.

I surprised myself with the initial answer that came to mind—I want to change the perception of people with disabilities. I think it’s an accurate description of much of my writing to date.

Doing some biceps curls with bands here.
I went back to bands after I
felt like I’d plateaued with weights.

Knowing why I write is helping focus my efforts in that area of my life. I believe my friend would agree that truly understanding why we do anything can be helpful in every activity.

Motivation is a topic I explored in some writing that I did in the last couple years. It’s work that I still hope to share with readers soon.

I’d like to explore the topic here on the blog too. Not to sound overly philosophical, but everything we do comes from motivation. Something drives you, motivates you to do it. People go to a job for various reasons. The cynic leaps at the fact that we all need money, and certainly getting paid is probably the main reason most people go to work. Some are lucky enough to love their job, but I think it’s safe to say that even most of them wouldn’t go to that job without getting paid. Of course, many people volunteer their time, and that’s great. Yet even they are motivated by comradery, a sense of purpose, or fulfillment of some kind.

Often what we do outside of work is considered our true passion. We’re motivated to pursue these activities for fun, excitement, or other forms of joy. I think understanding those reasons—the motivation—can be helpful. So, if you’ll excuse my self-indulgence, here are some things I’m motivated to do.

A sign of the season. This scarecrow and pumpkin
are a small sampling of the Halloween
decorations I’ll see on my walk these days.

Writing. Besides the above, writing is my chance to “make my mark” in the world. Writing gives me a voice.

Exercise. My motivation to work out has changed over the years—from getting “huge” (never quite happened), to staying pain free, getting out of the house, having fun, and, most importantly in recent years, keeping my body functioning to the best of its ability.

Cycling. For about 7 years I headed to the Schuylkill Trail almost every Saturday that MLK Drive was closed for recreation. After a couple years of not going, I went down to the river a good bit this summer. It’s one of the longest drives I take on a regular basis, and I’m spent for the day by the time I get home. But it’s the best trail I can get to independently. I love riding down Kelly Drive seeing people running, walking their dog, or doing whatever they enjoy on a Saturday morning. I never feel more connected to Philadelphia then when I’m catching a glimpse of Billy Penn in the distance or passing the boathouses, Art Museum, and the Rocky statue. And riding with a couple buddies lately has been the best part.

Taking a walk. I never thought I’d be a guy who takes a walk every day, especially not beginning back in my 30s. But I’ve come to believe that it has plenty of benefits. I get outdoors, breath in fresh air, get some vitamin D from the sun which seems to help my skin, and, especially on days I don’t go to the gym, I get a change of scenery.

I had to pedal through some mud on
the trail one day in July. Couldn’t
resist taking a picture of the bike
(pre-cleaning) when I got home.

Shooting hoops. I started shooting baskets a while back and have returned to it after resting a sore elbow. There are many benefits, but most of all it’s just a lot of fun!

Building a rec center. When I made a goal of building a rec center geared toward people with disabilities, I never thought I’d think of it as much as I do. It’s still not much more than an article, and becoming a bestselling author remains the best way I know of to get it going. But when I shoot baskets—or can’t shoot baskets for some reason (though my Y is wonderful about letting me shoot)—see friends at cycling, or hear about adaptive programs, I often think of the concept I have in mind. It pushes me to try to be a better writer and to work harder at some of my other goals in order to make the rec center a reality.

They say being aware of a problem is often the first step in fixing it. Perhaps being aware of what you’re motivated to do and why you’re doing it is a step toward doing it better.