Diabetics: Find Your Motivation

Originally published January 2010

One thing which has helped me take care of my diabetes is having a proper motivation.  Throughout the years I have had many different reasons and yet they have all given me a great boost in the right direction towards great diabetes management. 

Trying really hard to control blood sugars can get overwhelming when we think about how we take care of our diabetes today might affect our bodies in 20 years.  For me the thoughts about blindness and amputations are too frightening and make me feel like throwing my hands up and giving up all together. 

Instead, I find that focusing on small immediate “motivators” if you will, works wonders. 

So, since we tend to not be extremely motivated by things far off into the future, focusing on immediate perks can work very well for diabetics (or anyone for that matter).

Currently my main motivating factor (aside from the general and obvious “to be healthy”) is “to be able to feel well as much as possible so I can best take care of my twin babies”.  It is really important to me that I be a good mother and if I don’t take care of my blood sugars I could (worst case scenario) pass out and drop one of my children.  Nightmarish thoughts aside, I want to have lots of energy to play with them and carry them as much as possible instead of feeling sick and leaving them in the crib to cry. 

Years ago while dating, my governing motivation was how I looked.  I knew that out of control blood sugars helped cause dry skin, water retention, and hair loss.  I certainly didn’t want that!  Honestly, I’m a little vain so these are still great motivators for me to keep that A1c around 5 or 6%. 

For an athlete, motivation might be about having the ability to perform top notch-which cannot be done with high or low blood sugars. 

A college student surely wants get good grades but, also extract everything they possibly can from the experience and in other words, “not miss a thing”. 

At former job outside of the home I was a training specialist in the human resources department.  I just so happened to be one of the youngest at the company and the ONLY person without a 4 year degree.  (Yes, sometimes you can talk your way out of that college requirement.) It became crucial I prove myself to everyone.  My motivator was keeping blood sugars in excellent ranges so I wouldn’t seem out of control, incapable, or sluggish and so I could work hard while keeping a clear mind. 

By now you get my drift.  We all have different things we want in life, big and small.  Apart from the goals we all share about being healthy, we all have unique and more specific desires.  Use these as powerful motivators to get your blood sugars in the zone so you can achieve all you want in life.