Finding Your Big Why: The True Motivation Behind Your Health Journey By Miriam Rees
Coming up with our Big Why is one of the hardest things to do on any weight loss or health journey. It requires us to dig deep and uncover the one reason that truly drives us. That reason needs to be strong enough to pull us forward when everything else feels too heavy.
There are many reasons why I want to be healthy. Honestly, all of them matter. But when it comes to staying consistent—especially when motivation fades—I’ve learned that I must have a single, powerful reason I can return to.
Let me share with you some of the reasons that fuel me:
- Be a good Mimi to my grandbabies
- Grow old with my husband
- Run 5Ks
- Avoid diseases and cancer
- Prevent diabetes like my mom and sisters
- Prove to myself that I can overcome my biggest struggle
- Help and motivate others who struggle like me
- Feel young, even as I grow older
So, can you guess which one is my Big Why?
If you chose “to prove to myself that I can overcome my biggest struggle,” you’d be absolutely right. While most people might assume it’s my grandbabies—and that one comes close—it’s not the deepest reason that pushes me when no one is looking.
Why That One Matters Most
This has been a personal struggle of mine for over 20 years. I’ve followed countless diet plans and tried more workout routines than I can remember. Sometimes I lost weight. But I could never maintain it, and the weight always returned—often with more.
For a long time, I didn’t understand why I kept falling short. Over time, I realized something difficult: I was afraid of failing myself.
There’s a big difference between failing others and failing yourself. When we disappoint others, it hurts—but somehow we cope. However, letting yourself down stings in a way that’s much harder to recover from. That fear has often kept me stuck in my comfort zone, avoiding the very steps I knew I needed to take.
Even when I had good reasons—like my family or my health—I hesitated. Deep down, I didn’t want to prove to myself that I couldn’t do it. I was terrified of confirming that my biggest struggle might also be my biggest defeat.
A Big Why That Stands Through Every Storm
Sure, I could have chosen my grandbabies or my husband as my main motivation. Those are beautiful, meaningful reasons. However, life can take unexpected turns. We all know that sometimes God calls our loved ones home sooner than we’d like.
If my Big Why was centered entirely around another person, what would I be left with if life took them away?
That’s why I needed a Big Why that would stand no matter what happens. One that could remain even if the world around me changed. For me, it had to be personal. It had to come from inside.
And it had to be something no one else could take away.
Your Why Must Come From Within
If your motivation is based on someone or something outside of you, it can easily fade or be taken away. That’s why your Big Why needs to be rooted in your own purpose, growth, and potential.
For me, that’s proving to myself that I can overcome this struggle. It’s about becoming the woman I know I’m meant to be. It’s about honoring the journey God has placed in front of me, even when the road is hard.
This kind of motivation doesn’t depend on how others feel or what happens next. It’s between me, my goals, and the God who gave me this vision for my life.
So… What’s Your Big Why?
I encourage you to sit down and write out all the reasons why you want to get healthy. Don’t hold back—write them all. Then look over that list and ask yourself: Which one of these reasons will still matter, even if life changes around me?
That’s your true Big Why.
And when the tough days come—and they will—return to that reason. Let it be the voice that tells you not to quit, remind you of who you’re becoming and carry you through the struggle and into the victory.
