Ready! Motivation - Seyi Smith, Bobsleigh

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Motivation is the foundation of all athletic effort and accomplishment. Here are some tips from Seyi Smith:

• Pick a goal you are invested in
• Surround yourself with people that fuel your fire within
• Don't ignore the failures - understand them
• Lost in your successes? Lost in your setbacks? Recentre yourself by returning to detailed goals
• Be comfortable with being uncomfortable
• It won't happen magically - YOU have to change something
• The first time is luck; 2nd time is coincidence; 3rd time is the start of something

LifeWorks Wellness & Fitness Corner

Setting a wellness goal: Start by finding your why

Motivation is a changeable state rather than something you have or don’t have; It is what causes us to act. Spending some time exploring what the influences are behind your desire to change will help you “keep the goal” for longer. It is helpful to view your motivation on a sort of continuum in terms of both direction and energy:

• Direction determines whether an individual moves toward or away from a specific outcome (often it is about avoiding pain or approaching pleasure). 
• Energy results from needs either innate (internal) or acquired through interactions with the environment (external).

Motivation also comes in two forms: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is driven by external rewards and arises from outside of the individual. Intrinsic motivation originates from within and is in accordance with an individual’s belief system or fulfills as desire.

Examples of extrinsic motivation to exercise would be rewards or gifts for yourself for meeting a goal, fear of health-related consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, winning a competition or belonging to a group including a team or fitness class. Intrinsic motivators could be the pride felt for meeting a personal challenge, passion for an activity that requires physical fitness, desire for self-improvement or growth, drive for competency in movement or strength.

Typically, extrinsic motivators have a higher “relapse” rate and many people end up abandoning goals purely based on external factors which can change or become less important. On the other hand, because intrinsic motivation is driven from the individual in the form of curiosity, passion, honour and independence, it isn’t as easily shaken when things get challenging. In any case: meeting a goal requires persistence, especially when things get tough or boring.  It is essential to have a clear idea of why this change is important.

Your why is what drives you to want to make this change. It’s what’s worth fighting for in your life. It is what motivates you to overcome your hurdles. It could be your health, independence, family or anything you value.

When you realize your why, you’re able to start to articulate an overall wellness goal. An overall wellness goal has three components:

• What you want to accomplish
• What you need to do to accomplish it
• Why you are focused on this accomplishment

For example, if you want to be able to have the stamina to play with the children in your life, your goal would be to increase your cardiovascular endurance. In order to do this, regular exercise would be the new habit you want to accomplish. The reason you want to increase your cardiovascular strength would be your why. So, your Overall Wellness Goal would be: Through regular exercise, I will increase my cardiovascular endurance in order to create memories with the little ones in my family.  

Overall wellness goal-setting exercise

My intrinsic motivators around my health and fitness are: ______________

My extrinsic motivators around my health and fitness are: ______________

My why is: _________________________