Staying Motivated
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How to Challenge Yourself Through Life’s Storms
What do you when you’ve lost your motivation?
What has you derailed?
This is often a problem for anyone going through a medical issue, including amputees.
As a 5 year amputee myself, I have a different story, one I want to share.
I spent most of my life participating in sports of one kind or another, only taking a break when we started our family.
As the boys grew so did my desire to get active again, for myself, my physical and mental well-being.
I joined karate with my kids when they were just littles, and I really enjoyed the challenge of it and feeling a part of something.
Unfortunately, onely about 2 years into it I tore my MCL which led to multiple surgeries over 5 years. I gained weight, a lot, and lost my drive.
When it got to a point that I wasn’t going to get better, and I had tried everything, a blood clot came along to drive me to the lumeing decision to amputate, and that I did, 5 years after the initial injury.
At this point, I was prepping my body and mind for what was to come and with that I began to set goals and challenges, after all I was ready to attack life once again…too many years of sitting around on my butt.
The very first challenge was learning how to walk again.
The beginning of the journey-My first prosthetic and me at my heaviest since my injury
This was no easy task and with the pain of amputation/surgery, ill-fitting sockets due to atrophy and weight change, and the actual weight of the prosthesis, I was in for a really challenging few months. But I was determined.
For the first 3 years the volume of my residual limb changed a LOT!
I had to learn to put my mindset into the positive and in hyper-overdrive. I needed to find something to push me, so I decided on virtual races.
My virtual race medal wall. My motivation to keep going!
I could do them on my time, in my area, and with no one else around. I was going to use these races to push myself to wear and master my prosthesis. My very first race was 150 mile spring virtual race! I calculated my daily miles to figure out how to finish on time and then set out to walk the miles.
Can I tell you, in all honesty, that the first day I set out to do my 2 miles (easy, right?) I could only muster up the energy and tolerance to walk to our mailbox!!! 1/4 mile total walk! I was doomed!
But, the next day I got started and walked another block further than the day before. I continued on this path, having good days and bad and taking advantage of the good days, and pressed forward. I was determined to win this mental and physical challenge, each and everyday!
Was it easy? Not a chance! But it was plausible and that was all I needed to rise to the challenge and succeed.
Some days I could get my 2 miles in, and then the very next day I could only go as far as around the block.
I tell you this because the path isn’t always straight forward. You can be doing really good one day and then nerve pains, or the fit, can take you out. You should know this going in so as to give yourself some grace and not get down on yourself.
I talk about Practice makes Permanence, not Practice makes Perfect. 5 years in and I still have days where I see my gait looking lazy or off, I still watch and correct, but I have learned muscle memory and I know right from wrong as I walk.
Practice makes permanence
Setting goals early on in your amputee journey, or any journey for that matter, is important to building healthy habits. There are no shortcuts to figuring it out, you just need to put in the work and build experience. A great basketball player doesn’t just shoot during the game, they practice that free throw hundreds of times a week, maybe even a day, to build muscle memory and get the form down. Why would learning how to walk again in a prosthetic be any different?
Spend the time in it, get use the feel, get good at the stride, practice the little things everyday, and take breaks when you need them, but keep pushing. It will come and then you’ll be able to move onto the next challenge you set before you.
Of course this week’s challenge is to challenge yourself.
Set a new goal, one that you know you can accomplish without it being too easy. Pick something you have been dying to accomplish (like getting stronger walking in your new prosthetic). Now figure out a plan that will get you from point A to point B, and give yourself a specific deadline. Mine happen to come with their own deadlines, being virtual races had “complete by” dates assigned to them. They were a challenge, for sure, but it was good for accountability reasons. I couldn’t wiggle out of those deadlines, not if I was being true to myself, and why wouldn’t I want to be true to myself? Don’t I deserve that?
You can do this.
Drop me a message and let me know what you’re challenging yourself with and then get after it!
You can do this!
You are a warrior, so attack life like a warrior!
I hope you found this to be motivating and you take on this Call to Action.
Have a beautiful week, and until next time,
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!
Much love,
