14 Tips To Stay Motivated | Head Games
To achieve your full potential a high level of motivation is an essential prerequisite. It is not uncommon for motivation levels to fluctuate. In this article, Sports Psychologist, Dr. Andrew Lewis offers advice on how to lift your motivation levels after they have dipped.
As a rider, there may be times when your motivation levels are great. There will also be times when they are a bit lower than usual, or sometimes just downright non-existent. This is quite normal. Your motivation levels will vary. At times you feel on top of the world and in control. Other times, you might be at the opposite end of the spectrum where you simply feel that nothing is going right. You may feel down, not in the mood to train, lethargic or just plain exhausted. These feelings in turn may create a ‘downward feedback loop’ that accelerates demotivation.
A dip in motivation can be linked to several things. Physical exhaustion, sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, deteriorating general well-being, a drop in confidence levels, and even burnout. Too much or too little rest, training sessions or races that are too difficult or too easy, challenging relationships and even boredom can drain your will to ride. It may even feel like you have no control over your emotions and motivation at all. When this happens, it can be a bit of a challenge to ignite the motivation flames and regain control.
So where does motivation come from?
In essence, motivation is derived from two sources, internal and external. Forms of internal motivation are positive self-talk, hard work, perseverance and skills mastery. External motivation can be from rewards, praise from fans, fame and fortune. While both can motivate you, internal motivation is important for long-term success and needs to be developed and firmly established. Homer Rice, an American football player and coach, said “You can motivate by fear, and you can motivate by reward. But both those methods are only temporary. The only lasting thing is self-motivation.” The truth is that external sources can vary and are often inconsistent and temporary while self-motivation is the one that gets you going.
Getting back on track
When you feel that your motivation is fading, it is helpful to fully recognize and acknowledge the situation. From there, start to assess exactly what is going on. Then analyze what you can and cannot control. Then take action accordingly. Here’s what to do:
Gauge your overall motivation levels. You should have a fair idea of your general motivation levels. If they are currently lower than usual, it’s a good idea to stop and reflect on things. Start by assessing what you can and cannot control. Then take action by addressing what can be controlled and learn to work around what can’t.
Track your motivation levels in a logbook by noting different information; numerical (quantitative) or words (qualitative) are the two most common methods used. By constantly adding information to your logbook, you can start to understand and explain why your motivation levels were at a specific level, at a certain time. Looking back through your logbook periodically can give you a fair idea of how your motivation levels vary and you might even be able to link those variations with their causes. Over time, this becomes very helpful.
Go back to the basics! If your motivation levels are low it is important to experience some successes. This can be achieved by revisiting physical and mental skills that you already have mastered. This process will help ignite those internal sources of motivation that you already have.
Remember your riding successes and also remember your goals and dreams. Watching videos and seeing photos of these successes can remind you of your goals and what motivated you to achieve them.
Set or realign your riding goals. Goals give you direction and something to work towards, even if it is to just go out for a weekly ride and have fun. Having a goal or purpose is what motivates us. Write these goals down and take action.
Assess your current riding goals. Are they realistic? Are they attainable? Or are they perhaps too easy, or too difficult? Goals that are too easy or too difficult to attain can result in boredom and complacency; which often result in low levels of motivation.
Consult and engage with others on your support team. Medical specialists, doctors, physiotherapists, biokineticists, dieticians, a skills coach, teammates, family, and even your Sports Psychologist are able to help when your motivation levels are lower than usual. It may be something physical, emotional, or something on the mental side that is contributing to this decline. Gaining input from those around you allows you to understand and see your challenge, from a different perspective.
Knowledge allows you to explore options and address your current motivational state. Perhaps you have an injury that is causing you to feel demotivated, or, you might need to gain a better understanding of your nutritional needs. Consulting with specialists will give you some objective input on your current situation.
Interact with other motivated and positive people — for example, find motivated riders who can serve as role models. You are what you think and being with other motivated riders can spur you on to new motivational heights. Try exploring what they do to stay motivated and look at adopting those motivators (or similar ones) for yourself.
Engage in positive self-talk as this can encourage and motivate you. Positive affirmations are process-oriented, focused on the present and directed at a particular behavior. For example: ‘Although I’m not feeling 100% motivated, I will complete today’s session – even if I have to take it easy.’
Recognize improvements in your times, technique and other training metrics… even the small ones. And celebrate them!
Remember to mix up your training sessions. Don’t forget to have fun. Doing something totally different from riding can be refreshing. Try going for a surf, a hike, or a run. Finding a new active way of having fun, in a different environment, can do wonders to rekindle your spark for riding.
Sometimes it is just as simple as listening to a familiar song, tune, or podcast that will get you going and revved up to ride.
Mental imagery and visualization are the purposeful processes of creating or recreating a scenario in your mind’s eye in order to enhance concentration, confidence and motivation levels. Engaging these and other mental skills on a regular basis allows you to relive times when you were motivated, to understand what contributed to it and also to recognize your successes.
The bottom line
Motivation levels are like the seasons — they are ever-changing and very much part of your riding life. By acknowledging, embracing and addressing your motivation levels, you will take your results to the next level.
| WORDS: Dr Andrew Lewis | IMAGES: Gary Perkin |
| Andrew Lewis is a Health Professions Council of South Africa (SA) and Health and Care Professions Council (UK) registered Educational Psychologist currently working in the UK and conducting online sessions with his South African athletes. With a post-graduate qualification in Sport Psychology, he works with individual athletes and teams who compete at all levels―national and international; and those who compete for pleasure. . Contact: info@andrewlewis.co.za │ lewisandrew1964@gmail.com │