As I sit here writing this blog, I am somewhat staggered. I was expecting to write a blog today about ridiculous names. However, I feel compelled to inform you that I have already done ten active minutes today….! Yes, on 1 December at 1am ….
Several days ago, I entered into a discussion on Facebook about fitness (or perhaps, lack thereof) and how us genies might get off our collective backsides and move more. Regular readers of this blog will know that I have a Fitbit (aka Prison Bracelet) which forces me into doing a certain amount of steps, active minutes and distance per day, along with a desirable level of calories to burn. Anyone who knows me will vouch for the fact that I am certainly not OCD (you should see the house!) but, when it comes to the turquoise (cold)/yellow/red/green Fitbit adventures of each day, I do not like to lose…. certainly not to the machine itself.
I bought the Fitbit some months ago now and it motivates me each day (all by itself) to do what I am supposed to in terms of a daily step count and such like. Thanks Fitbit! On a local level, in historical terms, family history societies engage with their members in a similar way, sharing the enthusiasm and dedication, towards a particular goal…. though not a step count, as such!
Motivating people is never easy. Fitbit does it just by being there. If I fail to achieve 10,000 steps in a day, what would happen? Nothing. No-one would die and nothing bad would happen. However, I cannot fail. I am motivated to achieve this goal on a daily basis. Motivation is personal to each of us. It is about having a focus in mind so that even when you want to give up (which at times we all do!), there is something telling us not to. It may be a voice in our heads saying “NO” or a physical barrier holding us back…. Whatever it is, motivation is the key.
OK, so 1am is an odd time of day to have already managed to achieve ten active minutes. But something has clicked….! Thirty active minutes is the daily goal – so I have twenty minutes to do when I wake up and it’s actually Tuesday! Time now for some Zzzzz…. See you on the other side!
