Motivation

What is it that makes you train hard? Knowing how you get yourself motivated can be a big help. If you are internally motivated you push yourself because you like the feeling hard training gives you. If you are externally motivated it's the external rewards from training that drive you.

When you first start training you'll likely be externally motivated. Wanting to lose weight, gain muscle, get healthier or achieve athletically are all examples of external motivation. External motivation is great at the start and if you set achievable short term goals it can carry you a long way.

There will be times those external sources aren't motivating enough. Tough times indeed and you'll need to look inside and inspire yourself. Inspiring yourself can be easy if you've kept detailed records about your training. Simply look back and see how far you've come if your destination seems too far away. You might also go back to a particularly good session and visualize how you felt during and after that session. For those that train in a group or with a partner use the energy of others around you to pick you up. Anything you can use to get you excited about training is a motivating force.

Motivation, whatever yours is make sure you make the most of it to ensure great performance.

This article was featured in The Fourth Edition of the Carnival of Improving Life.