Rating Your Motivational Factors

[Chris Nagel]

Rating Your Motivational Factors

Motivation, what gets you going? What inspires you to do your best? An exercise to help individualize your training based on what motivates you involves a simple rating of twelve factors. Rate each on a scale of 1 through 10 or as low, medium, or high, and describe their impact on you and your volition.

1) Action. Actively partaking in training and/or competition.

2) Spectator. Watching others train or compete.

3) Coaching. Learning from coaches, books video and demonstrations.

4) Past experiences. Thinking about your past triumphs, hard fights, or enjoyable moments.

5) Future. Thinking about or constructing mental images about your future performances.

6) Feelings of well being. Mental or physical feelings associated with being fast, in shape or performing well.

7) Solo workouts. Working out alone or competing against your own personal record rather than against an opponent.

8.) Companionship. Working out with others for support, motivation or for the stimulus of competition.

9) Feedback. Discussions with coaches, athletes and friends about your performances and/or progress.

10) Competition. Being challenged by a worthy opponent, or the prospect of winning or outperforming yourself.

11) External motivations. Meeting or exceeding the expectations or goals set by coaches or friends.

12. Other. Anything else that motivates you.


I think that by actually having your motivational factors on paper in front of you, you can then use it as a baseline to improve your motivation, which in turn can have a big impact on your performance. Incorporating this into your training regimen, pick a goal that you would like to accomplish. perhaps it could be that you'd like to be loose and relaxed while you're your sparring, or that you want to be able to throw a good left hook. It could be a small or private goal, but remember that it has to be important to you.

Use this to develop highly motivated workouts, and to help you accomplish your goals. Know what your fighting for and keep that fire burning.

[Von Milash]

I'm always more motivated when things are going well. When I'm depressed, I tend to say f it. I can't be bothered.

For example, for me, if I was single and depressed over it, I'd fail. A lot of pro athletes lose focus when a chick is in the picture, but I'm the opposite. I remember there was a patch where the wife and I split (then girlfriend) and I was trying to play tennis, and shit, I could barely bring myself to run to a ball. lol. I was pretty much EXACTLY like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obycGT3Wg-U

but it never quite go to this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pyBB7y8fDU

[Trainer Monkey]

Survival
The person across from you right now,does not wish to have a spirited debate with you about the price of rice futures in Zimbabwe.
If he has a brain in his head, he wants, on the other hand,to cave your freaking head in
The best way to make sure that doesnt happen,is to cave his in first.
Ive never looked across the line when I played US football, and thought the left tackle wanted to do anything but put me on my ass.
It happened once, and I hated the feeling of being pulled off the field for a play, the guy bulldozed me, and I never wanted to feel that way again

[mrodub]

I hate coming second and that motivates me and i try to think about the other guy when i am training and i say to myself is he training this hard if i can say maybe then i step it up until i know he cannot be doing this and thats gives me an advantage physically and mentally and i can honestly say in my division at the moment i believe i train the hardest

[Salty]

10) Competition. Being challenged by a worthy opponent, or the prospect of winning or outperforming yourself

I thrive off competition, against others and myself. I don't know why I'm like this, but I am very competitive and some could say I have an addictive personality. Although it seems to work well with sports as you try to push your body to the limits. When you find someone who has managed to get to a level beyond yours, it gives you something to aim for.

[Sharla]

10) Competition. Being challenged by a worthy opponent, or the prospect of winning or outperforming yourself

I thrive off competition, against others and myself. I don't know why I'm like this, but I am very competitive and some could say I have an addictive personality. Although it seems to work well with sports as you try to push your body to the limits. When you find someone who has managed to get to a level beyond yours, it gives you something to aim for.

I'm a lot like this myself. It can sometimes backfire when training with people who don't like competition even if you're just running sprints so i've learnt to turn it off around some people.

I think that kinda sucks though because it's a huge part of my motivation and to have to pander to other's sensitivities can mean you have to hold back too much.

On the other hand when you can be competitive in sparring and you're reasonably well matched with someone else who likes competition it can turn into a non technical slug fest way too easily!

The middle ground is so hard to find!

I'm the same as Von in that if other areas of my life are out of control I find it hard to perform the same way. I think I just use up all my emotional energy stressing and then have nothing left.

As for other reasons I'm motivated long term health and fitness is a biggie. I want to be a machine at eighty. When I'm old and can hopefully afford it I want to do a lot of active holiday type things and really live life to the full. Waking up one day fat and unable to move around is my greatest fear because i know how quickly it could happen if i let it!

I'm not sure if fears are as good motivationally as positive things though. They're not meant to be according to what i've read.

Good thread Chris

[Youngblood]

In looking over this well-compiled list...I see/feel I pretty much have it all covered. The thing that concerns me...is that I might lose that drive.

I suppose it is silly to worry or even think about, but yet I do.

Anyone else get this?

[Salty]

If I were you YB, i'd be asking myself why are you getting concerned? People generally only get concerned about a topic, when it's actually happening to themselves. Do you think your doing too much at a young age, which could cause you to lose the love for the sport? Or are people putting pressure on you to do well?

[Salty]

10) Competition. Being challenged by a worthy opponent, or the prospect of winning or outperforming yourself

I thrive off competition, against others and myself. I don't know why I'm like this, but I am very competitive and some could say I have an addictive personality. Although it seems to work well with sports as you try to push your body to the limits. When you find someone who has managed to get to a level beyond yours, it gives you something to aim for.

I'm a lot like this myself. It can sometimes backfire when training with people who don't like competition even if you're just running sprints so i've learnt to turn it off around some people.

I think that kinda sucks though because it's a huge part of my motivation and to have to pander to other's sensitivities can mean you have to hold back too much.

On the other hand when you can be competitive in sparring and you're reasonably well matched with someone else who likes competition it can turn into a non technical slug fest way too easily!

The middle ground is so hard to find!

I'm the same as Von in that if other areas of my life are out of control I find it hard to perform the same way. I think I just use up all my emotional energy stressing and then have nothing left.

As for other reasons I'm motivated long term health and fitness is a biggie. I want to be a machine at eighty. When I'm old and can hopefully afford it I want to do a lot of active holiday type things and really live life to the full. Waking up one day fat and unable to move around is my greatest fear because i know how quickly it could happen if i let it!

I'm not sure if fears are as good motivationally as positive things though. They're not meant to be according to what i've read.

Good thread Chris

I don't pander to people's ability when it comes to the fitness section of boxing, the people who are there for that section obviously need someone to push them.

The only time I find that I really need a challenge is in the beep test, it can make the difference between me getting 12's or late 13's. If everyone is dropped out by 10 it's hard to get that extra bit of effort out though.

I disagree with the sparring though, I've very rarely gotten into just a slugging match. I think the trainer would stop the sparring if it ever came to that. But when I get hit cleanly or get dominated by someone, it gives you something to shadow box against. How can I overcome him, what did I do wrong, etc.

I think that competitive instinct is vital and a blessing, otherwise you just don't care if someone is better than you.

[Youngblood]

If I were you YB, i'd be asking myself why are you getting concerned? People generally only get concerned about a topic, when it's actually happening to themselves. Do you think your doing too much at a young age, which could cause you to lose the love for the sport? Or are people putting pressure on you to do well?

No one applying pressure...more just wondering if it happens to people. If anything, those close to me worry I go too hard at it. Frankly I couldn't imagine doing anything else and that gives me as much satisfaction. I think one of the posts recently by the fellow who said he drifted away from it got me wondering. He stated he started at a very young age....so I guess that is maybe part of it.

[Salty]

If I were you YB, i'd be asking myself why are you getting concerned? People generally only get concerned about a topic, when it's actually happening to themselves. Do you think your doing too much at a young age, which could cause you to lose the love for the sport? Or are people putting pressure on you to do well?

No one applying pressure...more just wondering if it happens to people. If anything, those close to me worry I go too hard at it. Frankly I couldn't imagine doing anything else and that gives me as much satisfaction. I think one of the posts recently by the fellow who said he drifted away from it got me wondering. He stated he started at a very young age....so I guess that is maybe part of it.

Personally I don't think you have anything to be worried about. Your a smart kid who seems to have a good group of people around you who care for you. If you start overstepping the mark with training, by the sounds of it they will let you know. I think your thinking too far into the future, about what might happen, future problems which don't yet exist. Worry about them if they turn up, but right now enjoy the sport which makes you happy and chances are the problem won't arise. Nothing can make you more upset than thinking of worst case scenarios of the future, just having fun in the moment, that is probably the best advice I can give you, others may do better than me. But I hope this helps mate

[Manuel "Chubby" Medina]

I like beign the under dog it fires me up to prove people worng and amaze them. Makes me work alot harder.

[Sharla]

I was thinking today that maybe when you are motivated makes a big difference too.

I mean if I have to miss a workout for uni work or whatever (which happens way too often lately) and i think - shit now i might not achieve my goals / i might get obese if this keeps up / i'm not doing very well then it doesn't seem to motivate me at all. It's more depressing and scary really.

Like if I am driving and I absent mindedly do something silly then I feel stupid and it seems to be a self fulfilling prophecy and i do something else that's just stupid.

However if i drive and before anything happens I have consciously though I will drive according to this sytem and have these checks etc then I will feel more in control because I have a strategy and I will apply it.

I think things that occupy your mind before and while you're training rather than things you fear when it's not going well might be better motivators.

Perhaps that's partly why positive goals are good for motivation - they're more likely to be on your mind all the time without stressing you out.