In the previous post, I shared with you the inner part of motivation, which I consider to be very important. Here I am going to share some more techniques to help you skyrocket your motivation to new heights.
If you haven’t read the previous post, please take some time to read it and do the exercises.
So let’s dive into the actual motivational techniques.
Motivational Technique #1: Use “Outside” Resources
This is a concept that I have used unconsciously and lots of other people are using unconsciously, too. What you are basically doing is this: you are using an outside resource to motivate yourself to exercise.
You are using an outside resource to motivate yourself to exercise.
Most people are trying to use motivational posts and that’s fine if it works for you. It doesn’t work that well for me. I want something that is more direct, like a video. The video doesn’t have to be directed as motivational. Take someone who is doing the skill you want to do or better yet take one video with gymnasts or other elite athletes performing. The key to getting motivated is to watch it multiple times.
I always feel inspired after I watch some high-level training videos.
The video is the most direct form of communication we have achieved (that is not live). Mass media have already taken advantage of it, it’s time for you to use it as well.
Other resources you can use:
- Success stories
- Inspirational stories (like the team Hoyt video)
- Songs
- Images (martial art dojos and old school lifting clubs have images of great martial artists/ lifters in the walls, you can do something similar)
- Quotes
Remember that all of this is about gaining awareness. What motivates me is not necessarily going to motivate you.
Motivational Technique #2: Motivate Yourself Through Action
The law of nature is, Do the thing, and you shall have the power: but they who do not the thing have not the power.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson [1]
Motivation is a feeling and feelings come and go. You can’t rely completely on feelings, you have to use your willpower as well and take action despite on how you feel.
There is something most people are not aware of.
Action creates motivation.
Instead of waiting for motivation to take action, take action to motivate yourself.
Most people depend on this model:
motivation -> action -> motivation -> … ,
but this model is not so reliable because it can be like that as well:
no motivation -> no action -> no motivation -> ...
By taking action, you are going directly to step 2 of the process:
action -> motivation -> action -> …
The more you work out the more motivated you are going to feel and the more you are going to workout.
When I feel down sometimes and have no motivation to work out, I know that if I make that first sets, I will be motivated to finish the whole workout and train even more than planned.
Action Steps
- Find 1-3 motivational videos that you are going to watch daily (this can be life changing)
- Find a great image/ poster of an athlete you admire and put it on the wall
- Watch the team Hoyt video (above)
These are the main methods I use to motivate myself.
What do you do to motivate yourself?
Did you find this post helpful?
Feel free to comment below.
And remember:
“Successful people do what they have to do, whether they feel like it or not” ~ Brian Tracy
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[1] You can read the incredibly awesome “Compensation” essay by Emerson here.