Break Out Of Slumps
Every athlete gets to the point in a season where motivation dips a bit.
Motivation can be difficult to maintain through a long season with hours and hours of repetitive practice and training sessions.
Repetitive workouts can lead to boredom for some athletes, “I get so bored in practice and just want it to be over.”
Dips in motivation occur when an athlete loses their “why.” “Why do I continue to put myself through the arduous work?” or “Why do I sacrifice so much of my life for this sport?”
Losing your “why” can cause you to question, “Is all of this really worth it?”
By knowing the warning signs of waning motivation, you can effectively counter it and swing the momentum back in a positive direction.
Low Motivation Warning Signs:
- Lack the desire to practice or train
- Going through the motions in practice with little effort or focus
- Boredom in practice
- Missing training sessions for no good reason
- Reduced enthusiasm for competing
- Diminished enjoyment for your sport
Breaking Through The Grind
Practices and competitions can be a grind.
Training can feel monotonous, tiring and painful but that is the very point where you need to lay the hammer down and push forward.
It is at this point where the greatest gains can be achieved.
Your competitors are experiencing the same thing.
Imagine the advantage you will have if you respond with that extra effort, focus and discipline.
Strategies For Maintaining High Motivation:
- Find your “why” – Reminisce about why you chose your sport in the first place. What did you imagine achieving when you began competing?
- Make it fun – Find ways to make practices a game. Have fun with it. This will combat those boring workouts.
- Keep a proper focus – You have a choice: You can focus on the boredom of a workout or the opportunities to improve and develop your game.
- Focus on your goals – Remind yourself of why you’re working so hard. Imagine exactly what you want to accomplish and the work required to get there.
- Enlist a training partner – You can work so much harder when challenged by a workout partner. A workout partner can help motivate you when you don’t feel up to practice. Having a workout partner will keep you accountable for your level of effort and focus.
- Think of your greatest competitor – Try to outwork your greatest competitor. Ask yourself, “Am I working as hard as him/her?”
- Utilize inspiring cues – Use inspirational phrases, pictures, role models, stories or photographs to keep you motivated. Collect them in a notebook and view those sources of inspiration during tough moments of the season.
Try these tips to keep motivation high:
- Tip #1: Create if/ then statements. If I (get bored in practice), I will… This way you can remedy situations when they occur.
- Tip #2: Think of what your athletic idol would do. How would your favorite athlete attack this situation?
Success is the result of doing things the right way even when you don’t feel like doing them.
Successful athletes have learned how to stay calm, focused and perform with poise in competition. We’ve created The Relaxed Athlete, Workbook Program to help you do this.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Your Mental Game and Performance Slumps
- Break Slumps: How to Get Past a Performance Slump
- Mental Game Tips To Get Past Performance Slumps
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The Relaxed Athlete
The ability to relax and play your game under pressure is what separates the winner from the loser in any competition. Champion athletes train hard in practice, are motivated for the right reasons, and are able to raise their game in crunch-time with two minutes remaining in the game..
A relaxed and confident performance begins in the mind! When you are mentally prepared to compete, you can have an optimal level of intensity AND poise!
The Relaxed Athlete program is ideal for any athlete that wants to overcome pregame anxiety, worry, or excess tension and learn to perform with poise. It’s also ideal for any coach or parent who wants to teach athletes to perform with poise and relaxation in competition.