When you know your life's purpose, it becomes easier to focus on where you are going, what matters the most in your life, and what decisions are aligned with your goals.

Knowing why it’s important for you to begin a program to get in shape and stay in shape makes you committed and passionate about reaching your goals.

Having a purpose will help you find and commit to your true passion

In episode 4 I covered benefits of walking every day. In this episode, I follow up with helping you discover your why.

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Later in the episode, find out how you can download the first two chapters of my Amazon best seller Walking for Health and Fitness, the easiest way to get in shape and stay in shape. And get a free copy of the audiobook for you to listen too… after you listen to the Walking for Health and Fitness podcast!

Here’s a rundown of what will cover in this episode:

Where Will You Be One Year from Now?:
What Motivates You?
Where Does Motivation Come From?
How to Use Your Walking Time to Focus on Your Why
Answer These Four Questions and Get to Your Why:
5 benefits of Knowing Your Why

And we’ll cool down with a lesson from my Walking Logbook Journal, Six Ways Inspirational Quotes Can Change Your Day for the Better

Where Will You Be One Year from Now?

To begin today’s episode, let’s turn back to the clock to last new year’s day.

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Now you might be saying, Wait, Frank, you want me to go back in time? And you’re also asking me to look ahead a year, what’s up with that?

It’s simple; back on January 1st, the calendar turned to the new year and if you are like most people, you set a new year’s resolution to get in shape this year. You vowed to stick to it, then… three weeks later you became disappointed with yourself because you forgot all about your resolution to get into your best physical condition. You might not have had a game plan but more likely, you didn’t have a strong enough Why to get you to take action!

So, together, right now, let’s get you off on the right foot so the next 365 days will be your best year ever!

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” - Budda

What Motivates You?

To get the most from your walking routine, you must know why you want to get into good health and fitness.

Why do you listen to motivational speakers, read motivational quotes and books, and go to motivational seminars? Do these people, literature, and events get you motivated?

Can an expert speaker, or this humble podcaster, get you out of the house and walking for 30 minutes a day, even in the rain?

Is there something about being motivated that you haven’t tapped into yet?

Motivation is defined as the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

Keep the word reason in mind.

Where Does Motivation Come From?

T. Harv Eker is an author, motivational speaker, and wealth creator. He puts it simply: In his seminars, he often repeats this phrase, “Thoughts lead to feelings. Feelings lead to actions. Actions lead to results”!

This got me thinking, is Harv motivating me with his words or is the motivation already within me since it’s all about my feelings and actions which both come from within?

So, What’s Your Why?

What is within you that gets you motivated? This is the big question of this episode.

Sometimes it’s as clear as the nose on your face. The Doctors said if you don’t lose weight and get physically fit, your body will continue to break down. Heart disease and diabetes will begin to destroy your body. That’s an easy “why” to answer.

Fortunately, most of us aren’t forced by the diagnosis of impending death to snap us into thinking about what it is that gets us moving towards health and fitness. Most of the time, we just want something in our lives to get us moving and feeling good about ourselves.

Here’s the Dilemma

So, when you are asked, why are you walking? You might just be facing the proverbial chicken and egg situation.

What comes first? Is it knowing the reason you walk or is it “I’ll get out and walk and my reason will appear?”

You might not know your “WHY” at this moment, but I’m here to tell you that walking will give you plenty of time to sort out this “why do I walk” question.

Just do it! Get out on that walk, get into a groove, get lost in your thoughts, and very quickly you will be asking yourself many of life’s big questions and pondering the meanings of the opening quote of the podcast episode; “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

Now, here is the exciting part, you will quickly come up with answers that you never thought were possible!

Let’s face it, if you aren’t in shape right now then most likely you haven’t yet answered your “WHY” question!

Let me give you an example; here’s my why:

Several years ago, in the fall of 2016, I answered my “why I walking to get in shape question.”

The previous fall, 2015, I began to experience a nagging pain that traveled down my left leg.

I was a runner and all the pounding on my body took its toll. I was in the middle of my virtual run around the United States. I’ll leave a link in the show notes so you can read more about that.

I tried stretching, heat, ice, and anything I could think of to relieved the pain. Finally, early January of 2016, I began physical therapy. Three times per week for nearly 3 months only worsened the condition.

In hindsight I did not have a good PT group working on me. In fact, I felt like I was just an insurance card to them. They gave me every test that they could EXCEPT an MRI which would have detected the severely herniated disc in my back.

By the end of April, I was in so much pain I when to an orthopedic doctor who diagnosed my disc issue in about 10 seconds. He gently moved my shoulders in such a way that triggered the pain and said “you have a disc problem.” I was stunned and look at him and said “no I don’t”. My PT group gave my every test under the sun and never, ever mentioned a disc issue. He glared at me and my disbelief of his diagnosis and said, “I’m sending you for and MRI, then you’ll see that I’m right.”

He was! When your doctor oohs and aahhs as he looks at your MRI, you know it’s serious. Him treatment was “completely stop all activity, get to a pain management doctor and heal your back.”

Ultimately, I needed to take a four month leave of absence from work and begin a series of epidurals at a pain management clinic.

At the same time this was happening, my Mom was dying of pancreatic cancer so my life was a stressful mess. In a future episode, I’ll talk about back issues and stress.

By the fall of 2016 I was finally pain free but now grieving the loss. I started walking to get physically and emotional stronger. Incredibly, with the thought to begin running again.

Then a funny but great thing happened. I enjoyed walking so much I never ran again and have remained relatively pain free since then.

Later this fall, 2023, I plan to release a book about back care and walking.

That was my why which was so easy, and painful, to find.

Once my back pain was cleared up, my why changed to keeping pain free, and telling others about the benefits of walking.

Let me help you find your why.

How to Use Your Walking Time to Focus on Your Why

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For this next part, you will answer four questions that will help you focus clearly on why you want to be physically fit. The more you ponder these four questions, the more in focus your answers will be. This will ultimately lead to your why.

So, go out for a walk, get into a nice groove, then reflect on each question.

I use the notes app in my phone to dictate the answers. I find my mind is clearer when I’m walking. I’m found that I do my best thinking and idea gathering while walking as I mentioned in episode 1 and my mid-walk turn around where stop at a coffee shop and with pen and paper, and reading glasses, I do what I call a mind dump. Every idea I had during the walk is put down on paper.

While I’m doing my walks, the random thoughts I dictate into the notes app help me remember and preserve them in real time.

**Comfort and Support “So your boys are ready for the game!”**

Give this a try: It may seem a little awkward at first as you get use to talking and having the app transcribe your works but it’s an amazing tool to utilize.

Getting to your Why: Reflect on and Answer These Four Questions and Get to Your Why:

1. What happens if you don’t walk?

Write down all the consequences of not being in good shape.

For me it’s the fear of back pain.

2. What gives you “pep in your step”?

What is that one thing that when you do it, you lose track of time?

For me it’s writing and talking about the benefits of walking and physical fitness.

3. What are your strengths?

We all have strengths and skills. What do you possess that will help you continue walking?

4. What fires up your passion?

Walking will give you more time to develop and expand your passion.

Now, give yourself time to think deeply about your why for using walking to stay fit.

The Importance of Knowing Your Why

Knowing your why for getting and staying in shape is important for many reasons. Let me give you five:

1. Motivation: Knowing your why for working out provides a powerful source of motivation. When you have a clear understanding of why you want to exercise, whether it's to improve your health, increase your energy levels, or achieve a specific fitness goal, you'll be more likely to stay committed and consistent in your workout routine. This will get you off the couch and out the door.

2. Goal Setting: Understanding your why helps you set meaningful and realistic goals. By knowing what you want to achieve through exercise, you can set specific targets that align with your why. This clarity enables you to create a plan and track your progress effectively, leading to a greater sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. In the next episode of the Walking for Health and Fitness Podcast, I will be disussing the importance of having goals.

3. Overcoming Obstacles: On the journey to fitness, you'll inevitably face challenges and obstacles. However, when you have a strong sense of purpose behind your workouts, it becomes easier to overcome these hurdles. Your why acts as a guiding light during tough times, reminding you of the importance of staying committed and pushing through setbacks.

4. Personal Connection: Knowing your why allows you to form a personal connection with your fitness journey. It goes beyond simply going through the motions of exercise and taps into the deeper reasons that drive you. This emotional connection enhances your overall experience, making workouts more enjoyable and meaningful.

5. Long-Term Sustainability: Building a sustainable fitness routine requires a strong foundation, and knowing your why provides exactly that. When your motivation is rooted in a genuine purpose, you're more likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle that extends beyond short-term goals. It becomes a lifelong commitment, ensuring that your fitness journey remains consistent and enjoyable in the long run…or in this case, the long walk!

So, before your next walk, put one or all four questions into your notes app, and as you get prepared to get out on the road, give a thought to what you want to get out the this walk, re-listen to this podcast then find your why.

Watch my video, 10 Quick Steps to Take Before Your Next Walk. This video will give you great information on making your next walk your best walk and was based on episode one of the Walking for Health and Fitness Podcast. Check that out.

Over the next several walks, ask yourself the why questions beforehand, type it into your notes app and “think on it” as you walk!