The weekend prior to my first challenge group was dubbed by my coach as, “prep weekend”.

I’m a college student. I have lots of homework, lots of projects, and lots to do. I’m busy just like everyone else! So hearing about “prep weekend” and all that was involved, kind of rubbed me the wrong way… I didn’t have time for this.

But if I didn’t make time for it, than would the results stick? Would I even achieve them?

The weekend consisted of taking weight and body measurements (chest, arms, legs, etc.), taking “before” pictures, writing down goals, and writing down whys. Measuring wasn’t hard for me (even though I did not like the number on the scale one bit!), and figuring out my goals was far from difficult. However, figuring out my “whys” was a whole other story.

What did it even mean to have a why? What was the purpose of it? I asked my coach this because I didn’t really even know where to begin.

She told me that it was important for me to figure out why I was doing this in the first place. She told me to look at my goals and figure out why I have these goals and what was going to drive me to achieve them. When I have a hard day and feel like quitting, what will force me to keep moving forward?

So I sat down, and I started praying about it and writing my thoughts down on paper.

Why was I doing this? What would drive me? What’s the point?!

I knew that I wanted to lose weight for me. I wanted to be a strong, confident, independent woman who looked in the mirror and loved what she saw. I wanted to be fierce, and I didn’t want to be ashamed.

But, I also was looking at the future and what is coming up in the next couple of years for me. I want to look good in a wedding dress and I want to be a strong, healthy wife and mom. I want to be around for a long time for my kids and husband, and I don’t want them to have to care for me because I am sick and unable to take care of myself. Also, I long to be able to help people on their own personal health and wellness journeys. How can I do that if I’m not an example of fitness myself?

My first “whys” were pretty short and simple, but as the days/weeks went on, they got longer and more complex.

I wrote my why’s on a piece of paper and hung it up on the wall next to my fridge in my dorm room. I wanted to look at that paper every single day and see WHY I was doing this. If I had a temptation, if I didn’t want to workout, I could look at that wall and put everything back into perspective.

Whys matter because struggles and temptations are guaranteed on this journey! We all face daily roadblocks that force us to reconsider what we are working towards. If you don’t have reasons behind your actions, then what’s the point?

So I ask you, right here and right now: why are you doing this? What will drive you through the tough times?

Your whys are important and they matter. In a lot of cases, they will be a tremendous reason for why you reach your goals and attain that life you’ve always wanted to lead. Write them down. Send them to me if you need some accountability!

Refocus on YOU.

Alice