I've been thinking about motivation recently

With this decision about getting a new camera when I finish my weight loss, I've been thinking more about motivation recently. I've come up with some thoughts. These are of course not the first time they've been written. Just the first time I've accepted them and placed them in my train of thought for more than a few seconds.

I have difficulty at university, mainly because of health issues (lack of ability to study full-time due to physical health issues and also depression). But I keep battling on. Course after course. What is my prime motivation? Graduating, of course, but there's more than that. In 2002, when my mother was dying I did something very smart. I didn't realise how smart until a few years ago. I asked her to write a graduation card for me. I then gave her $5 and asked her to place it in the graduation card, so I could have an afternoon tea that day. I also suggested that she place some money of her own in the card, as $5 won't get a very good afternoon tea. I have no idea whether she did or not, I will find out when I open the card, probably a week before I graduate. I'd say it's 50/50 either way. Anyway, when I am studying, I often think of the moment when I open the envelope and see what is inside the card. Did she put in extra money? I'll never know until I finish my degree. I suppose that the mental image of my opening the card and seeing did she or didn't see is my immediate motivator for my degree. Having the degree is the long-term motivator, but knowing whether she did or not is the immediate motivator.

Weight loss. I've been reading weight loss blogs for about a year now, probably 10-20 regularly so that's maybe 15 years of people losing weight, and I have yet to read of someone finishing their diet. Ok, that's not 100% percent correct. I did read of one person who lost all of their excess weight, but she wrote that at an earlier time, as I was catching up on her blog posts. Also, most people who finish their diet will put in back on. Only about 3% of people are at a weight that they lost to reach and are stable at that point. It comes back to an immediate motivator.

I am so glad that I copied Renee's idea about having a significant purchase type reward when I finish my weight loss (my camera). I won't be able to afford the camera otherwise, but by putting a few dollars in a jar each day when I lose weight, I'll be able to buy it. I'm not happy with the camera I've got now, so the new camera is the immediate motivator.

I think that people don't use this method to lose weight, usually it's just something way in the future such as "to see my grandchildren grow up". A much better motivator would be "my pants are too tight" or "my high school reunion is in 6 months".

Anway, that's my thoughts about this motivation issue. The more definite a reason to lose weight, the more likely it will happen.