It doesn’t take a whole lot for me to get down on myself. One little set back, and I’ll fall into a pretty nasty rut. My diet and exercise regimen was definitely a place that I was starting to trail off. This weekend, I went out to an Eldarenth LARP

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event and found out exactly how out of shape I really am.  Today, I can barely walk and once I sit down somewhere the concept of standing back up is bleak at best. I am sunburned, bruised, broken and limping. I feel absolutely amazing.

Fear is a Horrible Motivator

Over the winter, it was hard to keep a clear vision in my head of exactly why I was pushing to better myself. Old habits die hard, especially the destructive ones. There is only so far you can push yourself when you’re doing it because of fear. I renewed my diet in January because I was afraid that if I didn’t I was going to have problems like my father. It began to wane as a motivator as I personally began to come to terms with it and as my father’s health improved. The problem with fear as motivation is that it fades over time. Once you get used to something, anything, the fear it once caused you disappears and is soon replaced by apathy.

Competition is An Excellent Motivator

It’s pretty easy to find a way to get yourself motivated for real, though. All you have to do is have a legitimate goal. Your goal might be to loose 15 pounds or to build a giant robot specifically designed to fight in the inevitable zompocalypse, but you have to have a clear goal. Up until this weekend, I thought I had a goal, but I didn’t really. I have a giant ego, and it pretty much fuels everything I do. I push myself harder only when I need to be the best at something, or at least a front runner.

This weekend, I got a bit of a wake-up call. With 20+ brand new guys all itching to take down some veterans, it became apparent just how much damage 4 months of sitting on my butt really had done to me. These guys are all younger, faster, and more durable than I am, and if I want them to keep fearing me on the battlefield, I’m going to have to step up my game, big time. Nothing keeps me motivated like my egotistical need to stay ahead of the pack.

A Special Shout Out on Inspiration

I’d also like to say, competition can get me going, but I’ve got a new inspiration to push me, too. One of the guys in the game came out this weekend sporting weight loss to the tune of 146 lbs since October! He was looking amazing and light on his feet. He did it all through self discipline, determination, and a goal worth struggling for. He’ s gonna keep going, and I’m gonna push myself a little bit harder because he’s shown me that it’s my own baggage that’s keeping me from getting there to.

Thanks, you crazy Dwobbit, and congratulations.