I ran across this the other day:
http://lifehacker.com/fitness-is-a-skill-not-a-talent-heres-how-to-develop-1651281013
To summarize – things like motivation and willpower are finite, and not enough to get you and keep you fit. Instead, think of fitness as a skill that must be developed, which includes a lot of underlying skills – things like knowledge, going easy on yourself, etc. The small underlying skills build to the broader skill of “being and staying fit” in the same way that the small underlying skills inherent in playing guitar (right hand technique, left hand technique, chord knowledge, etc.) build to the broader skill of “playing the guitar”.
I find this to be quite inspiring.
When we are acquiring a skill, we fail. Generally a lot. But, over time and with practice, we can improve our skills. And that’s what is so inspiring – I can get better at this, not because I somehow got stronger as a person, or found some motivation lying out on the road, but because I grew my skill base and helped make it second nature.
Beginning in early 2013, I spent two years eating well and exercising well and generally building that skill. In the end, the whole “getting and staying fit” picture failed, but I still built on the underlying inherent skills, and I can still build on those. I can still get better at this, if only I will.
Cool.
A Constant State of Hunger 