How to Stay Motivated and Stick to Your Goals

Dear Friend,

I would like to start by sharing a small excerpt from an incredibly riveting book, which reveals how powerful the human spirit is, even when opposed by extreme elements. This quote, which illustrates how intense desire can help us forge through unbelievable obstacles, comes from Into Thin Air...

When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin his long, dangerous descent from 29,028 feet, twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly toward the top. No one had noticed that the sky had begun to fill with clouds. Six hours later and 3,000 feet lower, in 70-knot winds and blinding snow, Krakauer collapsed in his tent, freezing, hallucinating from exhaustion and hypoxia, but safe. The following morning, he learned that six of his fellow climbers hadn't made it back to their camp and were desperately struggling for their lives. When the storm finally passed, five of them would be dead, and the sixth so horribly frostbitten that his right hand would have to be amputated.

I've often wondered what must go through a person's head during such a challenging event. In fact, I even wonder whether a person in this type of tragic circumstance feels like giving up altogether. Or, is this even a choice, given their internal desire?

What's inside people like this that drives them to continue on? What propels them to dig so deep into their souls they simply cannot (or will not) see failure as an option?What's inside people like this that drives them to continue on? What propels them to dig so deep into their souls they simply cannot (or will not) see failure as an option? What is the internal driving force that motivates them to reach their ultimate goals?

Over the years, I've come to realize my strengths and weaknesses. Thankfully, one of my primary strengths is the drive, determination, and perseverance I have to continuously outdo myself. To become a better, smarter person. A better Father. Brother. Son. Husband. And on the top of my list is my desire for improved health and physical appearance. For some reason, I adopted this mindset from a very early age