Motivation.

Sometimes it’s just about finding the right thing to get you going, or, more importantly, to stick to something.

Like almost everyone else I know, I would like to get a little more exercise and get into better shape. Lately, I have been slowly but surely working on achieving those goals.

This is me doing my Iron Chef impression, cooking one of Robert's favorite steak dishes.

Amazingly, the easy part has been diet. Which is surprise, because the one thing I enjoy very much is eating good food.

In the past year or so, I’ve discovered that I actually really like cooking. It’s so nice to be able to create something at home that is just as good, if not better, than the meals you can buy at a restaurant. There’s also a great satisfaction in making something that other people truly enjoy eating. I love the look on my husband, Robert’s, face when I make a dish he loves. Or anyone else, for that matter.

As far as preparing healthy meals goes, I’ve started making sure I have vegetables for every dinner I make. I’ve also stopped eating until I was stuffed; just until I am full.

The difficult thing for me has always been exercise. After I get home from work, I just plain don’t feel like going out. One thing that has helped me immensely in that department is getting a dog.

A couple weeks ago, I realized that it was starting to be nice outside in the morning– the type of nice where you just feel like being outside.  I took Pepper out for a walk around the neighborhood. Since then, it’s become a sort of daily ritual. And simply having something depending on me to exercise that morning has been amazing motivation.

The one day I couldn’t take Pepper out because of time reasons, she was visibly disappointed. Dogs have a way of staring at you with such forlorn in their eyes that you just never want to disappoint them again. Because I know Pepper will be disappointed if we don’t go out, I’ve successfully gone out for 15-30 minute walks every morning for the last two weeks.

Really, getting things done is about motivation. The key is to find what it takes to finally get off your butt an accomplish something.