Does Motivation Matter?

The title of this post is rhetorical...of course motivation matters....that is a given. But does the TYPE of motivation matter? Does the WHY matter as long as it gets you where you need to go?

As far as my weight loss journey goes, I do have the "normal" reasons for wanting to drop my excess weight. I want to be healthy. I want to be a good example for my daughter. I want to be able to run races and feel like an athlete. These are my public, run of the mill, standard answers to the "why" behind what I am doing.

I'll let you in on a little secret though...there are other reasons...reasons that might not be the "purest" of motivators, but they are there all the same. To be honest, most times these "dirty" reasons are more motivating for me than the stock answers.

Confession time....I want to lose weight/get fit because...

1. I have a friend/co-worker who is one of those women that you (well me) wish that you were. (I really wish that I could post a picture of her here, but I wouldn't do that to her.) She's little and cute, always perfectly dressed and accessorized, and super smart and nice to boot. When I'm standing or sitting next to her, I feel like Godzilla. I so want to be able to sit with her and not feel like she is a city dweller fleeing frantically as I try to devour Japan.

2. My daughter has a signature saying "Ha ha now!" It's her equivalent of sticking her tongue out and saying "Nyah Nyah Nyah." I really want to have a "Ha ha now" moment with a couple of my exes...the more jaw dropping the better. During my runs and kickboxing classes I sometimes visualize whole scenarios where I get this moment. I know it makes me petty...oh well.

3. I have a group of friends that I affectionately call "The Rowdies." These girls are a little younger than I am and who I go out with when I feel like I want to recapture some of my youth. These girls are always coiffed, tanned, and dressed to the nines. When we go out I feel like the older sister (which I am, but still...) I want to go out and feel like a TRUE Rowdy...coiffed, tanned, and dressed to the nines. (Again, I wish I could post a picture of my Rowdies...)

4. CLOTHES. I want to be able to able to go into the Gap, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor and be able to buy anything I want and not have to worry about if something is going to be too tight, or not button or zip. I want to look DAMN good.

This is my short list of motivators. I know they aren't the ones that would get published in Shape, Self, or Fitness, but truly they are the ones that get me through. So, does the WHY matter if it gets you to where you need to go?