Frustration to inspiration

I am getting back in the blogging groove with another installment on getting and staying motivated for training. Not very original perhaps but something we all struggle with to one degree or another.

The double-edged sword that is the Internet opens up the world of amazing abilities humans have for feats of strength, flexibility, agility, grace, and endurance – in short, the incredible range of skills that exist out there. Watching these feats might inspire us to be better ourselves. Or, depending on the level of skill, it is possible to feel frustrated by one’s own comparative lack of skill.

How do we get from frustration to inspiration? By setting goals for yourself and getting to work to achieve those goals. This takes a specific mindset: one must develop persistence.  How do you learn to be persistent? You first need patience. Difficult skills don’t happen overnight. Even the most gifted have to put in hard work to get to where they are. If you are training and putting in consistent effort training the skills you aspire to, then you are on the right course.

When frustration takes you to that fork in the road and you are faced with two choices: to quit, or soldier on, choose the path of greatest resistance.  Because if you quit in frustration, you will be guaranteed not to meet your goals. Sounds obvious but, I guarantee training will get you results eventually. Remember, if it were easy, it wouldn't be worth doing. Your goals might not happen as quickly as you would like but they will happen. Instead, stay inspired, persist in your training and be patient with yourself. This is the road to mastery. It is not a well-trodden path. The road less traveled is worth taking.

If you are feel stuck, search for the reason. What is holding you back? Is it you: not being consistent, not putting in the effort, not showing up? Or is it your method? Your trainer? Your health? Your nutrition? Once identified, the roadblock can then be removed or worked around. It might be time to look for another way – that way could be another trainer, program, method.  Find the right fit for you. Make sure all the elements are in place for you to succeed. And carry on training. The hard work will pay off. Maybe not as soon as you’d like, but it will be all the more rewarding for it when it happens.

And since you will be on this road for a long time, find ways to enjoy the journey. When the going gets rough, keep the end goal foremost in your mind. And find ways to make it fun. If it’s not, why are you doing it? There may be aspects you don’t like, but keep in mind that only by” staying in the suck”, will you improve. This means, working your weaknesses, not your strengths. It’s possible you don’t even know what your weaknesses are. The right training program will expose your weaknesses and develop them to make you stronger.

If you are training your strengths, you're only making yourself weaker. - Sara Clare-Lajeunesse

If the goal is something you really want, the training is something you really need. So if you’re not already training toward a goal, find out what your goal is and get to work.  Both the training and the end-results create a win-win. So keep those inspirational videos coming!