Is the Prize Worth the Sacrifice?

It's always interesting to see what people are willing to do, and willing to give up, when they have their eyes on something they really want. Last night I watched the season finale of "Survivor," and viewing highlights from the season was really interesting. As with every other season of this program (some I've watched and some I haven't), there is a lot of struggle and deprivation as contestants endure cold, hunger, separation from family, and a host of other things in the hopes of winning one million dollars. Of course, only one person is eventually declared the sole survivor and wins the money.

If most people were offered the opportunity to leave their family and live with a bunch of strangers outdoors with no plumbing, no beds, no change of clothing, little food, and little protection from the elements, we would turn it down flat if there wasn't the potential of a reward at the end that would make the sacrifice and inconveniences worth it. I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't sign up for that kind of adventure for nothing. (Full disclosure: my idea of roughing it is running barefoot through a 4-star resort, so I'm not a camping kind of girl to begin with.) I watched the contestants on this season be absolutely miserable as they endured days of torrential rain and sleeping in the mud, all because they had their eyes on winning the money.

To be willing to sacrifice beyond what is comfortable, the prize has to be worth more than the temporary sacrifice. We simply won't change our routine and give up what's comfortable unless there is a compelling reason to do so. However, if we want it bad enough - and if the prize is valuable enough - we will do a lot of things and make a lot of sacrifices to reach our goal.

This is a good week to talk about this, because the next few days will see some people staying on plan right through Christmas while others won't, despite good intentions. In the end, it's really not a matter of some being stronger than others - it comes down to what reaching goal is worth to you. How badly do you want to reach your goal? I don't mean for this to be an unfair question, because I know that on one level or another, everyone reading this wants to reach (or remain at) their goal. When not faced with food temptations, every one of us would emphatically insist that we really, REALLY want to do this. However, in the face of food temptations, some of us will keep our eyes on the prize and keep on going and some won't.

It all comes down to what we really want and the choices we're willing to make to get what we want. Choose wisely :-)