Staying Motivated to Improve Athletic Success
You have probably been told by your coaches or parents that hard work is the key to success.
You have seen professional athletes credit their success to hard work. And you have probably read countless motivational sayings espousing the virtues of hard work.
If hard work is the key to athletic success, why do some athletes give up on hard work and lose motivation?
There are several reasons why athletes stop working hard in their sport… Too much pressure, no longer interested in competing, injuries, not playing to one’s potential, etc.
But the biggest reason athletes give up on working hard is that they don’t see results immediately.
For example, you start a season after a disappointing previous year but this season is going to be different…
You set your sights high convinced you will accomplish your goals. You push in practice like never before and feel determined to have a breakout season.
But after a few mediocre performances, your motivation lessens…
Your intensity in practices lessens. You start to question if all the hard work is worth it and you fall back into relying on talent alone.
Unfortunately, some athletes don’t understand that success isn’t just a matter of hard work… It is a matter of hard work over a significant period of time AND the right attitude.
Hard work is just like it sounds… hard, but the rewards are huge.
In order to sustain your motivation and patience through the ups and downs, you need to be mentally strong and determined.
Martin Flores is a journeyman golfer whose hard work over the course of years has paid off.
Flores needed a good showing at the 2017 Wyndham Championship to secure his PGA Tour card for next season.
Flores entered the final round outside the top 20 on the leader board then shot one of the best rounds of the tournament (63) to finish tied for seventh and moved Flores inside the projected cut for the PGA Tour postseason.
At the tournament, Flores spoke about how his hard work and persistence over the course of years has paid great dividends in his recent performances.
FLORES: “You know, just lot of blood, sweat and tears and, you know, this game will beat you down sometimes and you’ll have a lot of struggles and when things finally go how you envision in your mind you see all your hard work payoff.”
If you want your hard work, you need to know a few things:
Like Flores, you need a goal or something to works towards…
You need to put in quality effort and maintain a proper focus…
You need to hold steady, be persistent, and keep working when you hit rough patches…
You need to visualizing reaching your goal and live it every day.
Above all, you need to believe that your hard work will pay off eventually.
How to Stay Committed to Working Hard Over Time:
When things get tough, remind yourself of this analogy…
Accomplishing your goals is a journey, no different than driving your car from coast to coast.
Just as gas fuels a car; hard work fuels performance. But you can’t travel a long distance without constantly re-fueling.
If you want to accomplish your long-term goals, you need to maintain your intensity, drive, and positive attitude over the long haul.
With hard work and perseverance over time, you give yourself the best chance to reach that desired destination.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Staying Committed Despite Results
- How Elite Athletes Develop Mental Skills
- How Elite Athletes Combat Worry
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The Focused Athlete
It’s probably no secret that you have many opportunities to become distracted in sports. Athletes are bombarded with both internal and external distractions everyday in practice and competition. Focused athletes are able to get the most from their skills because they are more efficient with practice and more concentrated in competition. Athletes who lack focus let distractions run wild through their mind and don’t know how to adjust or refocus.
The Focused Athlete was developed for any level coach, parent, or junior to professional athlete who wants to improve performance and gain a competitive edge. It does not matter if you are a fledgling junior athlete; or a seasoned professional, plagued with distractions; or you just wanting to learn how to improve concentration…
“The Focused Athlete” is a complete system to teach you how to focus like a champion and harness the power of a zone focus every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course in practice and games!