When I began my fitness journey, I had lots of motivators. The motivators that made me persist even when things got hard were the big ones – health, longevity, energy to play with my kids, etc.

But there were minor motivators in the mix, too. These junior-motivators (feeling comfortable in my clothes and happy on the beach, for example) could never drive a lifestyle change on their own, but they felt more fancy and fun. They motivated the girly-girl in me.

The Grand Poobah of the minor motivators was The Before & After Picture. I knew I’d have to do some digging to find Before pictures, because I was so expert at hiding from cameras for so long. But imagining the day when I could stand in front of a camera without wanting to hide could make me smile even when the hard work was seriously bumming me out.

The After picture wasn’t enough to keep me on track on it’s own, but it was a very helpful mental image when I needed a little willpower-boost to help me step away from the ice cream.

This weekend, I hooked up with Kathryn Raines of Plate 3 Photography in Philadelphia, and she helped me to make my little dream come true.

I give you: A Goal Achieved

Now if I can just survive this cursed 5k, I’ll be in good shape 😉