You know you want to be healthier in 2010. But do you know why you want to be healthier?

It’s human nature that as one year draws to a close we wonder how we might make more out of the year ahead. In our neck of the self-improvement universe here at GetGoingNC.com, that translates to how we can improve our physical lot in 2010. You may know that you want to weigh less and be more energetic. You may know that you want to drop two dress sizes, or pare your waistline down to a 34. You may even know what exercise regimen you plan to pursue and how you plan to eat better. But have you stopped to think about why you want to to do all this? Is it because the doctor told you to lose 15 pounds? Do you want to show up for next year’s high school reunion looking like you did 25 years ago? Are you tired of having to fly business class so you can fit into the seat? Those may be perfectly good reasons to shape up, but are they the reason?

Before you launch into a new health and fitness program on January 1, the most crucial element to your success may be making sure you’ve convinced yourself there’s a good reason to change your ways, that you have the proper motivation. Because a goal as challenging as downsizing to the petites section or looking 17 again will require the quintessential carrot. And all of our carrots are different.

I thought about this during a backpack trip to the Smokies last week. It was Dec. 2 and I was standing on Clingman’s Dome, at 6,643 feet the third highest point in the eastern United States. I stood in the spaceship observation deck atop the mountain savoring the 360-degree view, which on this day featured a piercing blue sky above and below the tops of the other Southern Appalachian peaks over 6,000 feet poking through a cottony blanket of clouds. A dusting of snow completed the scene.

Now, you may be thinking, “I’ve driven to the top of Clingman’s Dome and walked the paved path to the top. What’s the big deal?” The big deal, to me, was that I was alone. On Dec. 1, the National Park Service closes the road to Clingman’s through the end of March. The only way to reach the top is to hike, which I’d done, taking a 14-mile route that gained more than 4,500 vertical feet. To me, that rare moment of solitude atop one of the most popular destinations in the country’s most popular national park, was well worth the hours of sweat investment that made it possible. Ten minutes of solitude on Clingman’s Dome was more than worth a year’s worth of working out.

I mentioned this to Marcy when I got back, that being able to stand alone in otherwise crowded places made all the early morning bike rides at Umstead, all the night hikes at Falls Lake, all the daily crunches worth it. “It’s all about having the proper motivation. Losing weight alone isn’t a good enough reason to be in shape.”

To me, she pointed out.

“I want to lose 20 pounds,” she said. “That’s all the motivation I need, at least right now. I’ll lose the 20 pounds and see what comes next.” Last night she proved that she did indeed have ample motivation. She’d woken up with a runny nose, zero energy and a general physical malaise. Yet she went to her cardio kickboxing class and kicked — well, let’s just say she wasn’t deterred by a little illness. Her carrot was obviously just as desirable as mine.

So what’s your carrot? Invest some mental energy over the next three weeks to think about what you really want out of being in better shape. A good way to start the process is to take the About.com Psychology of Exercise Quiz, which explores what motivates people to work out. Since it is a quiz, I’ll only share a couple answers. For instance, the quiz begins, what is the most common motivation for everyone, regardless of age or gender, to work out? Is it to lose weight or tone up? To have fun? To meet guys/gals? You might be surprised to learn that the main reason we work out is to improve our health. You might also be surprised to learn that men age 16-25 don’t work out to impress chicks or to bulk up. They work out to be more competitive on the basketball court or in their next 10K.

Find your carrot and you’ll have a much better chance of slipping into that size eight or wowing your class reunion.

Or even simply having a moment alone above the clouds.

Got a carrot? Tell us what it is and how it became your motivating force. Your story may help someone else figure out what it is that will keep them moving in the year ahead.