Mental Game Part 2: Ignore Motivation, Just Show-Up

“Here’s a test: Of an activity you do, ask yourself: If I were the last person on earth, would I still do it?” - Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

      I’m a Midwest guy who covets the ability to surf. I’ve been to the beach many times, boogie boarded, even watched the international boogie board championships on Oahu’s North Shore in Hawaii. It was the middle of January, and this often photographed beach was producing pipeline after pipeline wave. If you’ve ever seen a screensaver of a surfer effortlessly gliding through a crystal blue pipe it was likely from the North Shore. On this particular January afternoon, waves were cresting at over 20-30 feet. From the beach, the best in the world looked like toddlers holding onto a tiger's tail. I could overhear locals gasp in fearful admiration at the men still going out in such big wave conditions, and lying on their belly no less!

        Watching some of the biggest waves at a destination beach that day I was reminded of the waves I saw as a boy, from my grandparent’s boat dock at Lake of the Ozarks, nestled in the foothills of Southern Missouri. No matter the conditions - every wave will crest, break, and bottom out. In many ways motivation is a wave, and motivation is overrated. I've fallen into this trap, and maybe you too? Giving undue attention to how I feel about a run or workout, and neglecting the super easy steps it takes to just get out the door.

      Emotional and mental energy are hard to replenish resources. If I spend emotional energy pre-workout trying to conjure motivation to get started then I have wasted a precious commodity. We can easily end up wasting energy, worrying about whether or not we have energy. Then 10 minutes later, we still haven't started running, and we actually feel less motivated and emotionally energized to go. This would look a like a surfer paddling all over the ocean looking for the perfect wave, instead of simply waiting for it to come.
Athletes call this, “Going to the well.” and we can only go to the well so many times. Trying to psyche yourself up even becomes counter-productive. This just adds an element of undue pressure and intensity to what was supposed to be a plain old workout. Olympic Runner, Alan Culpepper underscores this in his book, “Run Like A Champion, “For hard workouts, my style is very workmanlike. I try to stay on an even keel and exert as little emotional energy as possible. I don’t pay attention to where I finish ... just so long as I meet the workout criteria.”

The counter argument to Culpepper’s workman like attitude is, “But shouldn’t we do it because we love it?” I would say we show-up whether we feel like it or not - because we love it! I wipe my kid’s snotty nose for the hundredth time and tie their shoes for the thousandth because I love them, not because I feel like it.

       Worrying about and analyzing whether or not I am motivated is an exercise in futility, especially in the midst of a workout or race. More often than not, doing this is even counterproductive.

Becoming a Blue Collar Athlete

There is an old adage, “Don’t ask the question if you don’t want to know the answer.” At some point in a workout or race, you’ll be tempted to ask, “Self, how are you feeling?” Then you’ll respond, “Well, like garbage.” So as much as I can, I don’t ask myself how I feel. In a detached way, I take note of emotions and physical symptoms as they appear, but I avoid interpreting what these symptoms mean until I’m done. My only concern is finishing.

      The mental energy it takes to look for motivation before and during a run will not help performance, and is elusive, AND it won’t even conjure motivation. Looking for motivation will only focus you on the fact that you don’t feel motivated. If you feel good in the middle of a run, receive it as a gift, and if you don’t – so what.  It will take precious mental energy to conjure emotional energy, so we end up burning energy to get energy.  

        Research tells us that mental energy is a big deal. During a workout or race, our brains or emotions are more likely to get fuzzy and unfocused before our bodies are spent. Instead of thinking about how I feel about a workout as I am stepping out the door, reflection will be best when the workout is over. This may seem counterintuitive, but mental energy should be used to maintain the appropriate pace, not worrying about the elusive white whale - motivation - in the midst of a run.

         From “The Slight Edge” Jeff Olson tells us,

“Successful people do whatever it takes to get the job done,

whether or not they feel like it.”

Trying to be motivated or excited for every workout is a lot of pressure, unreal, unrealistic, impossible, and unhelpful. Relax, settle in, don’t worry about how you feel, and just execute the plan. We’ve all experienced this phenomenon, when we don’t want to run, or head to the field or gym, but go ahead and do it, then by the end of the workout we feel a great sense of satisfaction. This satisfaction of a workout well done feels a lot like motivation.

      Instead of questioning whether I feel like finishing a race, or wondering if I am prepared, tired, or anxious; this is when I focus on saying statements of gratitude. These statements may or may not even be related to running. It just puts me in a good mood! This is also a good time to start relaxing and settling in. My mantra at this point in a workout or race is usually, “Just relax, you’re going to be here awhile today.” When doing this, I am training my mind to reframe and focus on something else when I feel tired. Instead of being in the habit of creating a negativity spiral, I’m trying to build the habit of positivity and consistency. Again, Jeff Olson provides an insight on the value of this practice:

 “Showing up is essential. Showing up consistently is powerful. Showing up consistently with a positive outlook is even more powerful.”

Consistency Creates Momentum

    Far from being an emotionally detached machine, I actually view this as an opportunities to develop consistency. Then we can welcome the familiar tiredness of a hard, even unmotivated workout. It is here, in the the fertile ground of being unmotivated that perseverance and consistency can begin to grow. Consistency is a character quality akin to perseverance or faithfulness. Those of us comfortable in Scripture remember that these are attitudes of the heart that God wants to develop in us. Your running becomes an instrument in God’s hand to shape your heart, to recreate us into men and women who do what they say, follow through, don’t give up, and press forward always!

      The other fruit of consistence will be a deep confidence that we are prepared and ready for success. In other words, we begin to believe in ourselves. Instead of the fickle wave of motivation, you will now find yourself skiing behind the speed boat of perseverance, confidence, and success. In their helpful book, studying the traits and habits of the world's best, Magness and Stulberg note in Peak Performance:

“The best performers aren’t consistently great,

they are great at being consistent.”

Like a lot of life, just showing up whether we feel like it or not leads to success. We continue to persevere because we know that our consistency is what will lead to long-term success, meeting goals, and even  the transformation of our character. Aristotle would agree:

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.

We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

   Consistence is defined as: the long-term adherence to the same course. Our consistency muscles are flexed when we show-up in the midst of not feeling like it. I was introduced to one of my favorite quotes on consistency from a female CEO who had climbed her way to the top of several companies, and holds respect in her industry. She said, “If you are persistent you will get it. If you are consistent, you will keep it.” This is one reason older athletes can continue to get faster and stronger. Even though their bodies may be growing weaker, their years of consistent work and learning gives them a base from which to push back against the decay of time.

     We don’t have to like it in the moment, but we do need to get out the door. You will discover that as your fortitude in training becomes stronger, you’ll see your general resolve grow. Simply, it’s difficult to develop an attitude of perseverance as an athlete, then be a quitter in another even more important area of your life. This is why we see so many student athletes and students in the Arts (another perseverance builder) score above average on scales used to measure grit and perseverance.

Four Practices to Bring to Practice

      However, if you find yourself overwhelmed in an avalanche of negativity, here are some ways to find your way to the surface:

1. Stay laser focused on the most basic goal. Write down the goal before your workout, race, or game. You’re 10% more likely to achieve the goal after physically writing it.
2. Smile. Really, smile and say a few nice things to yourself about yourself.
3. Remember why and for who you are doing this, even if it is just a mental picture.
4. Again - Brainstorm as many statements of gratitude as you can about being an athlete - being able to run, throw, jump, being in the arena or on the road.

          Incidentally, these are all practices one can do to create an environment for high motivation. Motivation may not occur just by doing these four simple steps, but you will be doing the work of looking for motivation. Then like the relaxed surfer looking for the next wave on the horizon you will be ready to catch it when it comes.

****** A Note About Over-Training ******

    There is an exception to this rule.  If I start to notice regular lethargic runs, that feel emotionally tiring and physically demanding, even though they should be easy, I get concerned that recovery is needed. This is like a warning light on your car's dashboard. You are likely approaching physical injury or over-training. This is why I always ask runners to note in their journals, right next to their weekly mileage, any weekly reflections on how they feel. I want to track motivation, but again, this is noted after the week is over rather than dwelling on it in the midst of an individual workout.