I am that annoying bright eyed busy tailed type waking up full of energy springing from bed super psyched to start the day. But over the past weekend, on the morning of the Hobble Creek Half Marathon, my sixth this year, I woke up grumpy and seriously considered staying in bed and skipping the race. Many runners talk about the “post-race blues,” feeling an emotional let-down, a little lost, after a big run. But there I was struggling with pre-race blues feeling low on motivation to get myself to the start line. All I could think about was the fact that it was very early in the morning, the ungodly hour of 4:00 am. Instead of visualizing the beautiful route and happy faces of fellow runners, I was dreading the long porta-potty lines.
Relying on motivation and willpower doesn’t always work. Motivation is fleeting and capricious. It is unreliable. It can come when you least expect it and be gone when you most need it, slipping away all too easily. The problem isn’t motivation. Motivation is conceptual. What we need is a practical follow-through and follow-up skills to keep pushing onward even in those moments when our heart isn’t in it. When I struggle to follow through on a commitment, it is a sign that it’s time to dig deeper and ask myself what my big “why” is. It means stopping to take stock of the situation to fully understand which of my needs and wants are competing with each other over my limited resources of time, energy, and attention. When you find yourself low on motivation, ask what the crux of the matter is. Peel back the layers to determine what are the things you could let go of right now, and what are the things worth preserving.
Your anchor is your “why.” It is the essence of why you set the goal in the first place, and what you are willing to sacrifice in order to achieve it. Your anchor determines whether you’ll make it through the storm; if you falter or finish. When you are in a motivational slump, re-energize yourself in 3 steps:
Step #1: give yourself permission to feel your feelings.
Step #2: Shift to thinking about all the reasons you want to achieve your goal.
Step #3: Make yourself take action. Motivation follows action. So, regroup and get moving.
An effective technique to find your anchor and rekindle your motivation is the Sakichi Toyoda’s “5 Whys” method. Using this method, you ask yourself why you are doing something 5 times. Here’s how I got myself motivated to get out of bed at 4am:
Why do I want to run the Hobble Creek Half?
I want to complete the 50 States Half Marathon Challenge.
Why do I want to complete the 50 States Half Marathon Challenge?
The 50 states goal keeps me running consistently because I always have the next race planned.
Why do I want to run a half marathon consistently every month?
Running half marathons helps me build endurance and mental toughness to go the distance on the trail and in life.
Why do I need to build endurance and mental toughness?
Boosting both my physical and mental stamina by learning to embrace discomfort and becoming “grittier” improves my performance in every area of my life.
Why do I need to strive for continuous improvement?
Striving to become a better version of myself and pushing myself to maximize my potential both personally and professionally allows me to flourish and thrive, to reach higher levels of satisfaction and find fulfillment in my life and career.
And that’s how I was able to get up at the crack of dawn and drag myself to the bathroom to get ready for the race. Please note that this exercise does not ask you to qualify or justify your “why” in any way. Asking yourself “why” allows you to better connect to and align with your overarching goal even when some of the steps, or tasks, seem daunting and overwhelming. Once you are clear on your “why,” it is easier to find the will and the way to make it happen.
Even the most inspired amongst us run out of steam sometimes. Success is achieved when you keep going even when it’s not fun. It’s about finding the anchors that will reignite the determination to power through the weak moments. To use a catchy slogan, “get your true grit to stay on that grind.” It might seem like “the grind” is a negative state you’d wish to avoid. In truth, it is inevitable and imperative for success. The road to achievement is bumpy. The struggle is an unavoidable reality of the process. It’s only natural to want things to be easy, but the growth is in the grind. The challenges you face provide you with the opportunity to look within to explore the dimensions of your resilience to cultivate your personal development and growth.
Always ask:
What is the struggle inviting me to learn?
How can I successfully overcome difficulties and setbacks?
What are actionable ways to implement my new insights for new growth and impact?
To recharge your motivation power:
Acknowledge how far you have come and give yourself credit for all that you’ve accomplished.
Assess the problems you are now facing looking at them from a more distant perspective.
Think up viable solutions how to do the hard things that right now may seem out of reach.
Get high on endorphins. Do things that give you energy. Find a way to get to your “happy place.”
Rewire your brain with positive affirmations; for example: “by taking small steps consistently, I will see this through and will achieve my goal.”
The path of no resistance is desolate and barren. Nothing can grow there. Challenges, obstacles, and adversity are the equivalent of growth hormones that stimulate physical growth, but for spiritual growth and mental fortitude. But in order to persevere, you must always be clear on the “why,” the reason behind the goal. As you move through life in the pursuit of goals, your “why” serves as the roadmap guiding the compass of your decisions and choices. By anchoring in your “why” you are building a bridge between what you are working through in the short-term and what you aspire to become. Knowing what truly matters to you, will guide you in the pursuit of dreams and goals.
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