On Go Why.

Found some interesting questions/topic starters over at Zen Sundays:

When you go to bed at night, what's your last thought??
I seriously never know. I stay up so late sometimes on the computer or watching DVDs, there are nights I don't remember falling asleep. At some point I shut down, turn around and collapse on the bed, and suddenly my dad is telling me it's morning and time to get up. Often times my computer is in sleep mode or a DVD is back to its menu.

When you wake up in the morning what is your first thought? What motivates you to get out of bed and start your day?
It varies. Either there's this disorienting moment between whatever I was dreaming and reality, like I wonder why I'm not in my office or a classroom and how I ended up back in bed. Sometimes I wonder what day it is, and how the movie I was watching ended if I fell asleep in the middle of it. Sometimes I wonder what the weight on my chest is before my eyes adjust to see my cat curled up like a black furry pillbug. My motivation used to be my dad repeatedly yelling in the time every five minutes, but I'm an adult now and also I don't snooze like I used to, so I'm never in bed long enough for a second time check or admonition that I'm going to be late. I've learned to drag myself up and not lie back down, and I think about how I like having a job and how my boss, who's a really cool guy to work for, only ever had one complaint in the two years I've been there, which was a rut of getting to work half an hour late that I'd fallen into. Since he spoke to me about it, I've been diligent, and barring the occasional run-in with construction or other understandable deterrents, I've made sure to get there before he does 98% of the time. My second annual review was complaint-free, complete with his pleased observation that I was punctual. That's motivation enough.

When you don't feel like exercising what makes you do it anyway??
Habit and routine make me who I am. Once I get into a pattern, I tend to stay with it. It helps that I drive past the gym as I leave the office each night. Sometimes the temptation to keep driving is strong, especially if I've worked late and want to get home to watch my shows. Ultimately, it's when I'm not thinking about it that stopping is easiest. I listen to the radio or distract myself in other ways, and by the time my mind clicks back into manual override, my autopilot already has me out of the car, gym bag in hand, walking inside. Distraction is key on the treadmill as well, and I start with a walk that I gradually increase to a jog and then a run, all the while paying more attention to the television in front of me. I can't be encumbered so I depend on subtitles rather than headphones, so reading also takes my mind off things like being tired or bored or wanting to be somewhere else, and before I know it and hour and six miles are behind me.

When you have sweets, or pizza, or whatever is your trigger in front of you what makes you say no??
I love this question; I wish I knew the answer. Truth be told, it's all about line of sight for me. If there are cookies or cake in a conference room, even if I've just had lunch or I've been training for a race, they're getting eaten. And if there are multiple varieties, I get one of each. For example, last week our purchasing department held an exhibit of different size envelopes and print formats for us to peruse, and on a nearby table had pound cake, chocolate chip cookies, and double chocolate chip cookies. I could not leave the room without having one of each on my plate. Out of sight and out of mind are the only way, because my willpower or focusing on things like not having a chick-repelling gut go right out the window when there's a tasty treat in my periphery. I really, really need to work on that. Usually I rationalize it with extra treadmill time, which is getting less and less efficient at canceling out the maximum snackage.