Overcome Your Lack of Motivation the Right Way
It is the old familiar story. They know you should do that – eat real food, go to the gym, do mobility work, and still fall back into old habits and miss it. Again. They tell themselves that you only have to get more motivated and motivated. You watch everyone else go ahead and feel a bit shitty in comparison. Morning; tomorrow you will do it
This is usually the part of a "motivational" article where I tell you that you only have one life. So get out there and live it! Or I tell you to get up, clap your hands, stand up, and then give you vague, unhelpful advice on how to find your why.
However, this is not a motivational article. It is not meant to make your blood pump, raise your shouts, and be ready to spit poison. Because frankly, this shit probably won't work for you. Not even the “inspiring” videos, in which someone with an incredible story tells them about a moving soundtrack before telling you that you are unleashing the fire and with a few feel-good tunes and the inevitable “If I can do it, know me you can too. "
I don't know anything about you, but anything that feels a bit empty doesn't it? I mean you get it. You know what to feel, but it's not quite what it should be.
Fight the subconscious
If you think you don't have time to exercise (whether true or false), you won't exercise. If you think you are too tired, you will not exercise. And if you believe that there is no hope for you, no training will take place.
However, if you think you are on the right track to become a better version of yourself, you can easily convince yourself to go to the gym. If you believe that change is possible and you have time and can still have a good session without motivation, you will find a way to exercise no matter how you feel.
Most of the time, the beliefs that dictate your actions are much deeper than many of us want to admit, both emotionally and consciously. For example, the belief "I am destined to be a failure" could have been stopping you for years. In addition, it may be buried so deep in your subconscious that it takes a lot of digging and observation to find it.
The most powerful beliefs live deep in our subconscious. Let us repeat what subconscious means: you are largely unaware of it. The deeper these beliefs are in our subconscious, the more they determine our behavior, thoughts, emotions, and physical condition.
In addition, the subconscious mind is infinitely more powerful than the conscious mind. While the subconscious may be able to overwrite the subconscious for a short time, the subconscious story will always win in the long run.
Motivation alone will never work
When you analyze a top athlete, it doesn't just come from a place of motivation. Generally they are:
- Cool, calm, and confident (This is often confused with arrogance, and yes, it's a close call).
- With a feeling of lightness, even when going through difficulties or struggles.
- Do not strive, but take everything.
In short, they don't rely on motivation, but on thinking. As my brilliant mentor, Dr. Brian Grasso; "You cannot over-motivate an unsuccessful way of thinking."
Have you ever been in a fluent state? If so, you will recognize the feeling of lightness that defines it. This is how it feels when you get your mindset straight to the point. I can imagine what some of you think … "So it's all great and everything, Tom, but how can I fix it?"
A champion has four principles in mind:
To build the mindset of a champ: 1. Perspective
The perspective sees the situation without prejudice. This training session, this lift, this week is not the be-all and end-all of your sporting progress. If things are not going well, what then? You can do the next lift better.
If you crush it, be humble. You don't know it will go on like this, so keep working hard and do the job. You can improve your perspective by creating a long-term strategy. Think about who you want to be in 2-3 years. Goal for that. Play the long game.
Most athletes spend too much time focusing on tomorrow's results, rather than how what they do will affect in three years. This is usually an unconscious narrative that is about proving yourself. It is time to think about a long-term goal. This allows your subconscious to slowly adapt to a more helpful approach.
To build a champ's mindset: 2. Awareness
A great athlete will not only pay attention to his own physical performance, but also to other indicators. You will be attentive to what you are saying to yourself and others, you will be observing your body language, you will be attentive to your body.
However, a bad athlete does the opposite. They ignore everything except the physical result and then wonder why it is not what they hope for.
By being aware of the internal and external environment, we can get a wider perspective on a situation. In short, we learn to recognize the signs before the symptoms appear.
A really useful tool is to write down all the important sentences that come to mind during training. You want to hear your soliloquy clearly. Only when we do that can we begin to change our unconscious narrative.
How to build the mindset of a champ: 3. Consistent elegance
- elegance: A surprisingly simple, brilliant solution to an apparently complex problem.
- Consistent: Follow the same principles, courses, forms, etc. over time.
Most athletes try to complicate their training, diet and mobility. Tony Robbins has a great quote: "Complexity is the enemy of execution." The more moving parts we have in the game, the more decisions we make and the more mental fatigue and overwhelming we encounter.
Consider this question: what is the smallest amount you could possibly do and still achieve your 2-3 year goal? If you want to do more after you've reached your "elegant" crowd, do more, but primarily hunt for consistent elegance.
To build a champ's mindset: 4. Embrace the hardship
Comfort is not the same as fulfillment. So don't chase him. Conversely, you will improve if you chase and accept the need.
Do you find this set difficult? Good. Embrace the difficulty. Do you want to eat crappy? Good. Now is the chance to break a habit. Can't bother going to the gym? Good. Do it and get stronger.
There are two types of difficulties:
- Intentional hardship: what you encounter on purpose – the number of repetitions or sets you need to do, or the diet plan you choose.
- Accidental hardship: you didn't want to come across it, but you're still there – you've missed sleep and now feel tired.
In the event of deliberate hardship, remember that you have decided to meet her. So keep in mind who you are on the way to becoming and accepting the need.
When it comes to utilities, you're here anyway. So what are you going to do? Embrace it!
Pace yourself
Relying on motivation is outdated and doesn't work. We have to change the unconscious story first. Think about PACE: