Over the years Ive lost count of the amount of people who say “if only I had your motivation to do ..." "It must be nice to really enjoy going to the gym and training so hard, I just find it boring" or "I start off well but then lack motivation after a while and can’t seem to get back on track”. Trust me when I say there is always a time somewhere in a training cycle when I don't feel like training either because of the repetitive nature of the tasks or - lets face it - the thought of being crushed on the regular isn't always too enticing. But to get to the stage I'm at now requires a ton of consistency in putting in the reps week in week out for years and years. I had to take a deep inward look at myself to figure out what was truly important to me, what would be involved and whether I was prepared to do to what was necessary to achieve it.
In most cases, inconsistency is usually attributed to a lack of direction and understanding of ones internal and external motivation. There are a few factors to consider when it comes to using motivation to stay consistent, and how it can be confused with mood. Motivation can be a powerful tool if correctly understood so let’s have a quick look into what motivation is and how it works.
There are two types of motivation one is intrinsic and the other extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is when a person does something because they enjoy it, are passionate about it, find it interesting or they have a genuine desire to learn a new task. Extrinsic motivation is when you do something for an external reward or to avoid negative consequences. Both of these motivations have their place and some of us can fall somewhere in between. Studies have shown that you're more likely to stick to a task and be better at it if you're intrinsically motivated, for most it’s as easy as why you started something in the first place. However, there is still a place for extrinsic motivation as many of us wouldn’t not do a lot of tasks, such as brush our teeth or go to work, for the obvious negative consequences associated.It may also help us to undertake a new task that we wouldn’t ordinarily do, such eat a healthy balanced diet to avoid the negative health risks, and who doesn’t like rewards whether it’s a voucher for player of the day or or a big fat end of year bonus!
We can also use external rewards as a guide to whether we did well or achieved what we set out to do. While the obvious benefits of extrinsic motivation seem awesome there are negatives to consider, such as a decrease in intrinsic motivation because we start to shift our focus towards rewards rather the desire to participate for the love. What happens when the rewards stop coming? This can be particularly harmful during our younger years and external motivation with children should be avoided if the child already undertakes the task because they enjoy it, or when an external reward may make a play activity seem more like work.
Knowing what motives are and what drives you is important, so have a think about what your 'why' is, write a plan of attack, set some goals and go and chase them.
Mood is not the same thing as motivation, moods come and go and this is why you can’t rely on your mood to do what needs to be done, such as get to the gym, or practice, or perform to the best of your ability.
To reach your true potential in just about any sport regardless of the level you compete at you need to be CONSISTENT across the board; training, recovery (such as sound sleep), quality of nutrition and avoiding excess alcohol are all pivotal factors to our success. These factors all play an equally important role. Mood comes and goes, it relies on your emotional state of mind borne from factors of our daily lives (such as family, relationships, health, work, finances and perceived energy levels) and because of the associated stress these environmental factors can have you can’t expect mood to be consistently high and therefore use it as a primary driver to go and get shit done. All of these aspects of our life aren’t great all of the time!
The best we can do is try to manage these factors and not ignore what life throws at us, so that they are less likely to negatively spill over into our endeavours and influence our decision making, therefore affecting outcomes. At times some of these factors may be too big to tackle on your own and if that’s the case I urge you to seek a professional to help, whether personal, career or financial. In my field, a sport psychologist can be a very useful tool to help you work through the nitty gritty and bring about true change. You may be questioned by your friends and family, hell you maybe questioning yourself. You need to have faith in your ability to accomplish change, belief in your personal values and trust in the process. Find who you want to be in this world and tie that to your goals.
Have a deep think about what your motivational drive is and figure out how this can guide you through the process. There is nothing wrong with critical reflection, a deep reflection on your mood and emotions by understanding what the stresses and triggers are that have a negative impact on your ability to stay consistent, and then put a plan in place to manage them as best you can. Remember what got you started in the first place and what lights that fire in your belly. There have been many scenarios when my personal and professional life have tested my ability of achieving what I set out to do, that’s life! But now, with greater personal understanding, some sacrifice and strategic planning - my mood won’t be one of them.
Live well Live Strong
Jez