Competitive Spirit

Break out the ranch dip and celery, I’m celebrating!

I’ve worked out everyday for the past seven days without fail. My chart is beautifully covered with fabulous checkmarks and I plan on indulging my hardworking self with a much deserved treat -- a pedicure. My toes curl in ecstasy just thinking about it.

Want to know the real key to my success?

Competition.

Nothing beats good old fashioned competition as the ultimate power in motivation. I can suffer anything for the thrill of a victory.

My best friend and I are highly competitive -- she’s more so, but I digress -- and she has been hugely instrumental to my success. You see, along with my charts and checkmarks for exercising everyday, my friend and I are keeping a running total of the days we do it in a row. If we miss a day then we have to start back over at one -- the only exceptions to this rule are injuries and illnesses and in that case you can’t count the days you didn’t actually do something but you don’t have start over either.

On the evenings when I was too tired or just didn’t want to do anything, I’d think about how far she’d get ahead of me if I had to start all over. Without fail, I’d lace up my sneakers and force myself to do the assigned workout for that day. Thinking about her passing me up gave me the oomph to get started that a future reward didn’t -- and I’ve found, once I’ve started, it’s not so bad. So now, when we whine about having to workout, we rub each other’s noses in the fact of how far ahead we’ll be if the other misses the day. Hey, what are friends for?

So raise the water glass and let’s make a toast to competition. May the best girl win -- she’d say it’s her but hey, I was the one with the epiphany. However, in this I’d gladly take a tie so we can both win.