Activation – noun: making active and effective
Successful people have something in common: They are motivated. Motivation can come from parents, a boss, or a coach — anyone who wants you to perform to a certain standard. There’s no doubt these external stimuli can be good motivators.
To travel beyond this level, though — to hit goals that seemingly are out of reach — we also need to be self-motivated. We need to have something inside that makes us want it more than any outsider could make us believe. It’s the kind of motivation that occurs when everyone else says, “That’s good enough,” and our response is, “Not quite.”
But where does this type of motivation come from? And how can we tap into it?
Finding motivation can be tough. With busy schedules and competing demands on already hectic lives, what can motivate us to do something extra when often all we want is to keep our sanity?
As a triathlete or fitness enthusiast, the motivation to train and take care of our bodies needs to come from within. And to sustain our race results, training regimens, or healthy lifestyles, this motivation needs to be plentiful and constant.
Here are some motivation techniques I’ve witnessed, read about, or even used myself:
1) Start with the end in mind. Picturing your goal and how you would like to see yourself reach it can provide the motivation to ensure you take the necessary steps (i.e., do the training) to get there.
2) Use negative experiences or feelings as fuel to lead you in a positive direction. Running away from negativity (literally) — whether it’s a failed relationship, job, or streak of bad luck — can boost your mental outlook as you take charge of what is in your control.
3) Pick a theme song or use catch phrases. Words and music can inspire you. Tell yourself to, “Do your best,” “Raise the bar,” “Take it to another level,” “Unleash the champion,” or my latest: “Knock it out the box, kid!” It only has to make sense to you and give you the confidence you need to stay committed.
4) Look for inspiration in others. The world is full of stories of individuals overcoming tragedy and beating the odds. Use their examples to convince you that your goals are not unrealistic. Impossible is nothing.
5) Prove it. Prove to yourself or somebody who may doubt you that you can do it. The nice thing about triathlon is that the results are tangible. You achieve a certain time or ranking or complete a quantifiable distance. Nobody can take that away.
6) Imagine how it will make you feel. Think about the health benefits, the improved self-image, or the higher energy level that will make you a better partner, employee, or parent.
7) Use the gifts you’ve been given. If you know you have the talent or ability, use it.
The E! “True Hollywood Stories” and Fox Sports Net’s “Beyond the Glory” sports documentaries often follow rags to riches storylines of individuals overcoming major obstacles too difficult for most of us to comprehend. Often, with seemingly no alternatives, these individuals put all they have into that one thing. It’s life or death and they choose life.
Being a triathlete is not a life or death proposition for must of us, which means we must rely on other sources of motivation to keep moving forward.
Respect,
JPD
This also appears in SwimBikeRun St. Louis Magazine.Labels: Activations
In addition to being pretty much hilarious, Talladega Nights may have set a new record for most product placements in a movie. I guess that fits with the NASCAR culture, but I'd also say welcome to the TIVO-killing future of advertising. Though I'd almost rather drink battery acid than Powerade, here's my favorite product pump from Will Ferrell's Ricky Bobby. It comes while he's saying grace before his family's fast food dinner: 
