Of all the questions I am asked, the most common has to be ‘how do you stay motivated?’ People tend to assume that successful athletes are blessed with unwavering and limitless drive, determination and vitality; that we never feel lethargic or lazy, and that the thought of donning the passion-killing ‘onesie’ and performing a sofa-slump never crosses our minds. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I, like the rest of the human race, suffer from motivational ebbs and flows.
Of course, everyone experiences motivational slumps. The key is that we learn to prevent or else recognize, manage and mitigate the malaise – preventing it from totally derailing us from the pursuit of our goals. In other words, I have strategies to kick my own backside into action.
So how do we solve the case of the missing motivation, put a Chariots of Fire’work up our onesie wearing backsides and quash the voice that says "Put your feet up. Have a doughnut?” Here are some of the most effective strategies whether that relates to movement, changes in your diet, prioritising sleep or any other aspect of your health or life.
Reframe: accept that you won't be motivated or driven all the time. Think about the times when you might not feel motivated, accept them as your reality but know that you can deploy tools to undertake a task regardless of whether you feel like you have the drive, energy or enthusiasm to do so, but reframing so that you expect to have times when you feel less driven can help in not being derailed when it does occur.
Reframe part 2: In terms of movement, for many people the thought of “doing sport or PE” can be really off-putting and sap any motivation (often linked to negative self-talk like “i am not sporty”) - , so it might help to reframe and focus instead on ways to integrate a little bit more movement and strength work into your day to day life, rather than scheduling a specific time slot to “exercise”. You could walk to the shop instead of driving, or scrub the floor a little more vigorously when you are cleaning. If you reframe this as movement, rather than exercise, this may help motivate you to do something that feels less of a burden, a time suck or a chore.
Plan for imperfection: Linked to this, try to anticipate the times when you might not feel as motivated. These are your own personal potholes, and it's useful to know what they are so you can gauge when you are approaching the edge and try to fill them in. What might be the cause? For example, is it harder to exercise outside when it's rainy or dark? If so, can you put in place a practical strategy to deal with that? Could you invest in waterproof clothing and a decent headtorch, maybe you could do an indoor workout or schedule a shorter run on those days?
Set clear goals and make them visible: Try to set some super SMART goals (i'll blog about this in anothe post) put them on your calendar, stick a note to your fridge, have them as your screensaver. One of my triathlon competitors had a photo of me next to her treadmill to remind her of her goal (beating me!) and to fuel her fire.
Have a clear plan/process: A daily, weekly and monthly strategy and plan provides direction and structure, and gives you milestones en route to your goal. It must be tailored to you and your life.
Easy access: Make movement as convenient as possible. Do workout in your lunch hour, run/walk/bike to work to get bang for commuting buck, head to the pool/gym straight from the office rather than going home. Going to bed in your training gear is probably one step too far though!
Set small goals to build momentum. Break the bigger goal down into smaller steps. Analogous to climbing a mountain, think about taking the first 100 steps rather than getting to the top. I find that starting off is often the hardest part. At around the 2 minute mark your cells more easily utilise oxygen as a fuel, muscle temperature rises, and exercise becomes easier. During an Ironman, which can last for 8 or 9 hours, I got through the race by mentally breaking it down into separate stages – whether it be the next swim buoy, getting to an aid station or even just taking one step forward. I promise myself that at that point I can either A) stop or B) keep going. By giving my brain the reward of having completed these smaller goals creates positive momentum. The answer is always B - keep going.
Make it a habit. I try to rely on movement being an automatic conditioned response or a habit. I don't have to rely on feeling motivated. I just “do the act” without question. It is helpful to identify a trigger. For example, I wake up, put my kit on and after I have a coffee I will go for a run. This happens every day. You can also stack a habit on top of an existing one. For example, hopefully you brush your teeth every day - why not do ten squats whilst you brush?
Multitask: Do something else whilst fulfilling the task. For example, I listen to podcasts when I run. I am motivated just as much by the opportunity to listen to a new episode of Diary of a CEO or The Rest is Politics as I am the actual run. The same is true of strength work. I do it in front of the TV, so that I can enjoy Bake Off whilst also doing press ups.
Celebrate small victories - reward yourself after the little wins, as well as the big ones. They don't have to cost the earth. For example, you could have dinner with friends, buy a new book, have a warm bath, take a walk after a hard day at work, listen to a podcast episode, buy yourself some flowers, get a manicure or treat yourself to a new gadget.
Track your progress. Keep a log of your journey, including your baseline measures. There are loads of tools out there to help you do it - online and offline. It could be as simple as a diary or calendar where you can record what you have done. For example, if you couldn't walk 1km without stopping and, over 8 weeks, have progressed so that you can now walk 5km that’s incredible. Looking back at a log that details what you did each week, will be a great reminder of the distance you've travelled.
Change your environment: If you are struggling to motivate yourself at work, perhaps a change of scene can help - especially if it involves movement outside. Or if you are finding it hard to follow through on your commitment to exercise a bit more perhaps going to your local park, gym or putting some music on to get you in the mood to have a dance and move your body around the room.
Consume uplifting content: Linked to this, I created a playlist of songs that were guaranteed to get me jumping, moving and grooving. Bon Jovi occasionally makes an appearance. “It’s my life. And it’s now or never. Cause I ain’t gonna live forever. I just want to live while I’m alive”. Occasionally followed by Mariah Carey’s “So when you feel like hope is gone. Look inside and you will be strong and you finally see the truth that a hero lies in you”. Finished off with Eminem’s finest philosophical warblings: “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime. You can do anything you set your mind to”. If music doesn’t tickle your fancy, perhaps you could listen to an inspirational podcast, or read your favourite book/poem. I carried a dogeared copy of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’ with me everywhere, and even wrote the words on my race water bottles. Watching uplifting movies or YouTube clips of others overcoming huge hurdles to achieve their dreams can also ignite your fire. Recordings of the Olympics and Paralympics are always nicely uplifting. Ditto goes for standing at the sidelines of the London Marathon.
Positive people: Surround yourself with positive people that are going to support and encourage you. Research shows that feeling like you’re part of a team can lead to boosted perseverance, engagement, and performance in and outside of a work environment. This could be a coach who develops your programme; a training partner; your spouse and children who can set up ‘aid stations’ during a long run (or simply push you out of the door!); a local sports club/group or even online forums and upbeat friends who have their drinks bottles half full.
Accountability: Extrinsic motivation can also come from making your intentions public. The next time you're wavering about a workout, go to Facebook, Twitter, your blog, an online forum or call your best friend and tell them, "I'm just about to do this session…” or “I am going to sign up for this race”. This social expression will give you the urge, and accountability, to deliver on each step, and update people on progress towards your goal.
Consistency (habit) but also flexibility: Remain consistent, yet flexible. It may sound paradoxical, but motivational malaise can strike when the regimen becomes too … regimented. Every once in a while try to shake things up, do something differently or with someone new. For example, could you run on trails instead of the road, do a yoga session instead of heading out on the bike, or have a walking meeting instead of booking a meeting room. If you are sidetracked because of forces beyond your control - eg work, family, illness or injury – be adaptable; focus on what you CAN do; and remember that perspective is paramount: perfection is doing the best you can in the context of YOUR life.
Practice visualisation: Sometimes imagining yourself as successfully pursuing an activity or task, and achieving a goal can help compel you to take action.
We ALL suffer from motivational ebbs and flows. It’s normal, it’s natural but it's also possible to put in place strategies to ensure you are able to reach heights you may never have imagined.
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