Lacking in positive motivation and inspiration

TheRealDag

Hi everyone!

I'm new here, but I'm not new to trying to lose weight. Over the past decade I've had many bouts and usually I've found it quite achieveable to lose some weight - only to put it back on, often with interest.

I believe I have educated myself reaonsably well and have the information I need to guide me towards a healthier and happier existence. But when I look back at my previous failures, one thing stands out as an obvious suspect when I ask myself why I failed despite knowing all the facts necessary to understand what I need to do. The elephant in my room: Motivation.

It's not that I lack motivation, but it's character. If I weren't motivated, I wouldn't be here having a go at it again. It is that my motivation is, and has been in every previous attempt, entirely negative. The focus is on all the things I'm not happy with, the things I fear may lie in my future if I don't "get a grip", and so on. There is really very little positive motivation that makes me feel energetic and optimistic and wanting to do this. I want the result, for sure, but even then the images in my head are mostly of what I wish to avoid.

I can't imagine I am the only one who feels this way. So what I'd like to ask is if anyone here felt the way I do, but found a way to turn it around. If so, how did you do it? What was it like?

I've read about motivation and watched youtube videos and so on. Usually it boiils down to one simple idea: positivity. Unfortunately my impression is that what is meant by this is abandoning all critical thinking. One is not allowed to be critical of oneself or of anything else. I firmly believe a critical and sceptical attitude has brought much more good than harm into my life. So I am naturally quite resistant to the idea of actively suppressing this side of me (or mental habit, which is what I think it is). How do I resolve this dilemma?