Motivation

Motivation can be a slippery thing. You've got it one minute and it's gone the next. As of late, I've been thinking about two types of motivation. They are both outcome-related motivation. One is the "to-do" outcome and the other is the (as Mater from Cars would say) "tuh-not-to" outcome.

An example of "to-do" motivation: We view a person or an image that represents having great success getting fit and they become our "to-do" motivation. We think of them--their health, fitness, spiritual strength, etc to help us press on in accomplishing our personal goal of getting fit. 

In keeping with this same idea of trying to be motivated into getting fit, our "tuh-not-to" motivation would be a person or an image of something that represents to us bot being fit. We may picture a person--or ourselves--weighing 500 pounds, sitting on a couch eating potato chips and ice cream.

I recently had brought to my attention an example of "tuh-not-to" motivation in the realm of not viewing pornography. Remember the serial killer Ted Bundy? Well, he offered an interview shortly before his execution and in it he links his behavior as beginning with pornography. Great example of a "tuh-not-to" motivator in choosing NOT to view pornography and to get away quick when it finds you.