Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going - Jim Ryun
I've had several conversations over the last few weeks with people who I respected for showing enthusiasm and lots of potential when they started with our club, they all looked like having the ability to achieve their goals and they looked like Muay Thai was going to form a part of a massive lifestyle change for the better.
Sadly the same enthusiasm is now redirected into looking for excuses for not training. No money, No transport, Working first thing in the morning & no time are just some of these frankly petty excuses I hear every day..
We are the cheapest club in the area and offer fantastic year round discounts, We are in a central location on the public transport link no more that one hours walk from anywhere in Telford, with over 30 students in every class someone WILL be able to give you a lift, with the right diet and attitude to training working a 12hr shift is no obstacle - no time? I have no time for people who say that...
According to Remez Sasson the founder of Success Consciousness and top author "Motivation and Enthusiasm firstly manifests as desire and interest and secondly forms the driving force that pushes you to take action and pursue goals"
Everyone I know shows the desire and interest but a very high percentage lack the motivation, it could be due to weak desire, laziness, un realistic goals or in some cases a physical or mental problem that requires professional help!
FACT - Lack of motivation & enthusiasm are two main factors for failure
You can't blame other people if you lack the enthusiasm to follow the steps required to achieve your goals, you need to find a way to motivate yourself and this sadly may be to re-adjust your goals. Lack of motivation can show up everywhere, at home, work, in relationships and often brings indifference, un happiness and dissatisfaction - because were in a blameworthy age we look for reasons why we are feeling this way and push the solution away as punishment.
Muay Thai is extremely physical, just a couple of days away from your Hobby can be a huge setback physically (your fitness & conditioning has been lost) and mentally (you remember the pain you went through last time) but there are many other reasons for lack of motivation and enthusiasm :-
- Lack of faith in ones abilities.
- We never criticise anyones ability - students often look towards others and self diagnose that other peoples kick is better / harder / faster etc. What do your senior ranks say? What does your instructor say? Did you ask?
- Fear of failure.
- Again a self diagnoses - we actively encourage people to achieve their goals and offer 15 years experience worth of advice should it be requested - trust me you aren't the only person we've seen she wants to lose weight / fight or pass gradings - as a general rule your instructors won't enter you into something if your not ready.
- Fear of what others might say.
- If your the type of person that lives your life on social media or tells everyone about your forthcoming fight they you and you alone are to blame for creating this pressure - if you don't tell anyone how can they say something negative? One thing is for sure - we will never be negative towards you.
- Laziness.
- This is the big one - this is the reason for the excuses given above! Nobody likes leaving the house on a cold wintery evening to go training - its exactly the same for everyone in ALL sports all around the world - the fact is "You ALWAYS feel better after"
- The feeling or belief that there are more important things to do.
- Self created rubbish, its a priority thing - I've had people packing for holidays between 7-9pm on training nights right though to "gotta take the car into the garage" All lies created over many hours of procrastination - lies that you are now starting to believe.
- Absence of enough stimuli or incentives.
- If your goals are not enough incentive for you to come training then you have the wrong goals - its as simple as that.. To lose weight / train for a fight / learn an art etc all take time - no magic wands.
These reasons are only excuses for not acting, you need to learn to overcome and disregard them and the first step is to identify which one(s) apply to you, acknowledge them, understand why your feeling this way and start to change the programming of your mind.
If you wish to improve your life for example, you need to kick start your enthusiasm and motivation, you need to realise how much you lose by their absence and how much you gain by having them. If weight loss is your goal and you don't have the inner strength to exercise or the willpower to follow a diet then the motivation to lose weight needs strengthening. If as a student you are too lazy to study you need to invest more attention, time & energy into your studies.
EVERYONE needs drive to follow dreams and achieve goals - they also need drive and motivation for everyday tasks. without this drive laziness, lack of energy, procrastination will all set in and fast. It would be much better to produce enough energy to take actions and achieve things - right? Well heres another fact - This will make you feel happier and more satisfied in life. By getting motivated you act, do things, take your mind off any problems or work and you'll soon be back on track.
So what can you do to get motivated?
Firstly find out where you really need motivation - this means deciding what actually matters to you, think deeply and discover your real goals in life. The quote at the beginning mentions habit keeps you going - this is true - motivation and enthusiasm are driven by lifestyle change.
Once you have chosen a realistic goal plan to achieve it - put training in front of other things in your life. Give yourself some "me" time - time to that you can work towards these lifestyle changes. Most of all ask for help when you are struggling...
