Member
That sounds about right to me too. I don't have to be excited by what I do. I do it because I decided to do it and it is part of being an adult.Originally Posted by Mark Leavy
That said, I DO have motivation but it is basically out of my control. If I stop working out for more than a few weeks I start to hurt. My back, my hips. Sleep goes to shit and then quality of life spirals down from there. So my motivation is really simple. I workout and train to avoid pain. Pain also keeps me in check. Since I am working out to live a pain free life (goal not reality), I'm getting to the point that if training adds to my systemic pain (DOMS not included) then I know I have to back off. This body isn't like volume as much as is used to (no surprise there).
I also enjoy eating and drinking and don't like feeling fat. Working out allows the former and keeps the later in check. I guess all my motivations are negative motivations - i.e. no pain and not fat.
Starting Strength Coach
I use to tell my athletes the past 28 years in college and HS that came into the wtroom unmotivated "hey you don't HAVE to -- you GET too"... Now that I've owned a gym this past year and have people in their 60-70's with hip and knee replacements, cancer survivors (and currently battling it), missing ACLS etc. I only have to think that too myself and I rarely miss a workout.
✓ Member
More and more I find myself moving to this approach. I no longer train based on like or dislike; I do the weights, reps and set planned simply because I planned them. It is a curious thing, because I do not know when or why this shift in mindset happened. But it is welcome and gets the job done much better than training based on motivation.
TMPHBITEU
Or RPE.
✓ Member
THANK YOU. Jesus I thought I was going crazy.
Community Organizer (Administrator)
We generally think of motivation leading to action, but it works more reliably the other way round -- motivation tends to follow action/accomplishment.
✓ Member
This is also called management in the business world going back at least as far as the 1950's. As in, plan your work and then work your plan. Subjective "feelings" and "perceptions" are down the list.
Member
Feel free to laugh at this, but it has worked for me. After my family, strength is the most important thing in my life (and yes that is from the preface of SS3rd Ed). How do I know that it is really that high on my priority list? I have spent time thinking thru what my priorities are. Maybe it’s the middle age in me, I can’t afford to waste time on frivolous pursuits.
I tried this mental exercise by Jordan Peterson called something like Future Authoring, it was like $10 . But it really makes you define what is important, and specifically why it is important, and then you have to rank your priorities. And you have to think about what would happen to you and your loved ones if you did not keep the priorities. So you are both chasing a goal, and running away from the personal hell of not reaching those goals. If nothing else it made me spend time thinking and writing about what is important, and acting on it.
Maybe it’s a placebo but my training has become more consistent since I did it. Whatever works, I guess. Your mileage may vary.
Member
Not as laughable as one might think. In dire times where I was studying for exams, but could barely bring myself to do the work, I would plan my day out meticulously in advance. In the morning, I'd take a piece of paper and just write timecodes with specific actions (like 8 AM have breakfast, 8.15 study X, 9.15 break, 9.30 study X), all the way from waking up to brushing my teeth at night and going to bed. It seemed silly to me, too, but having it in writing meant I could be held immediately accountable. If I were to record my activities after the fact, I'd simply be able to rearrange whatever I wanted. Not so if I wrote it down beforehand and promised myself not to change the plan or toss it out. Silly, sure, but effective.
Member
I'm dating myself here, but the best thing my job of 24 years ever did for me (early on) was send me to a seminar for daily planning (the Covey model). I've been a loyal customer of the Franklin Daily Planner ever since, so it was an easy habit transfer from my work planner to my training "planner" (AKA, training logbook).
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