Written by Jason Kitchens, an inspirational guy I know…
Sometimes you are going to have days where you just don’t want to. Perhaps the nite before you had to work late, stayed up that extra hour to catch a flick, or decided to have that one extra drink. Now it’s the next day and you couldn’t care less about getting out of bed, let alone consider going for a workout.
Top it off with knowing that the WOD involves something you don’t like & you don’t want people to see you struggle. Or maybe a friend or co-worker is pressuring you to do something much more fun instead of doing what you know you should.
Make no mistake about it, staying motivated, committed and continuing to follow through can be challenging- for even the best of athletes! You may wonder how people find this drive inside of them. There is no real secret to it. Everyone can do it.
The key is finding what that thing is that will get you motivated and ultimately get you moving. Start simple.
1. Keep good company. Surround yourself with positive and motivated people.
2. Stay positive. The going will get tough and you know what? You will get through it.
3. Get into the habit of finding what works to help push you through the tough times. You will find that the good company that you are keeping will help push you through!
4. Know yourself. Keep track of when you are feeling less than stellar. There may be a pattern that once you are aware of, you can work around and develop.
5. Help others. Sharing your ideas and be that person to motivate your friends. Seeing them do well can help motivate you to do the same. Sometimes it only takes that one person to get someone going.
6. Be confident! If you don’t believe you can succeed then you are not even going to try.
7. FOCUS. If you don’t know what you want, do you really want anything?
These are just some things that can help you get the self motivation for anything.
As many of you know (and have seen with my pictures!), I lacked any motivation whatsoever. I was a fat, video game smoking junkie, who didn’t want to do anything except stay in a dark room with some oatmeal cream pies alone playing games all day. Now, I have been blessed with the privilege of coaching some very awesome athletes and on my way to the Marines.
I would not be where I am today without the help of my friends and family (which for me are one in the same). I changed the company I was around which helped me overcome a difficult time. Even though I knew it was far away, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. When I was down, I learned how to overcome it. I started to come out of my shell more (I was a very big introvert), and seeing people reach their goals showed me I could reach mine too. I knew what I wanted and never looked back.
Hey look, I still have those challenging days where motivation is lacking but you know what? I have the tools to help me get that motivation and I know I can get through anything and push to the next level. I reached my goals and beyond. Never did I think I would be coaching athletes on fitness, motivating others to succeed, or going to serve my country.
Anyone can find that motivation inside themselves to succeed in all aspects of life. If you know someone who is need of some motivation, be that one person for them.
Originally posted on CrossFit Impavidus blog.