Put simply, motivation is your desire to do something and make it happen. It’s the difference between making the effort or choosing not to. Make no doubt about it, it is a choice. If you feel you’re flagging in keeping up with yourself and your training ideals and goals, then these 5 Powerful, Motivational Training Tips, are for you!
1. Motivation always comes from within you.
External motivation can only enhance that. The first step to being motivated is to always do what you love; and choose to be happy in what you do. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. You won’t know if something is for you until you try it; find out what you love to do.
2. Write your goals down.
This will set your intention ‘in stone’ so to speak. “The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen.” said Lee Iacocca. Be clear and concise about your goals, aiming for small, measurable goals to start, then building up to bigger ones. Writing your goals down is a great way to stay motivated, some psychological studies have shown that you are up to 40% (or more) likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.
3. Your mind is a most powerful tool and you own one.
It can help you to stay positive and motivated. If you think negatively that will be all you see, negativity. If you are limited in your thinking, you will be limited in your doing, set no limits or self-limiting beliefs! You can do anything you set your mind to. Focus on your goal and what it will bring you once you achieve it. Talk yourself up, not down. You are in charge of your thoughts and behaviour, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being the best version of you that you can possibly be. You can only achieve that once you step beyond your current limits.
4. The only person that you need to be better than is you.
You don’t need to compete against a single human being, only ‘against’ yourself, strive to do a little bit better! Stay motivated through focusing on yourself and your goals. Never compare yourself to anyone, it’s a hurtful thing to measure who, what and where you are against the false barometer of ‘someone else’. Be your own measure of who you are and keep growing and becoming stronger within yourself. Do keep records, diaries or logs about yourself though so you clearly know that what you’re doing is leading you towards or away from your own progress.
5. The story of “Rocky” is a great example of motivation.
It’s a demonstration of the ability to get back up after getting knocked down untold times or getting disappointed and to just think, regroup and keep going! You can only rise after a fall, so if something hasn’t gone to plan, don’t be deterred, get back into it and stay hungry for your goals, “Eye of the Tiger”? You bet! Expect setbacks as a normal part of life; the beauty of glitches lies in your power to change and the will and persistence to overcome. Focus on the positive and always look for the good in any situation, adaptability is your greatest strength.
Ultimately your motivation lies inherently in you. Keep that spark alight and if you stumble, pick yourself up again, mistakes and little pitfalls occur to teach you something so you can do it better next time. Keep an ‘I can do it’ attitude, why? Simply because, you can!