Three-time Olympic athlete Leon Taylor knows his stuff when it comes to motivation. He was the first British Olympian in over 44 years to win a silver medal in diving at the Athens Olympics. In this article, Leon will be offering you solutions and motivational tips to keep you on top of your goals. Over to Leon...
You’ve probably noticed it’s hard to maintain focus/motivation all of the time. No matter who you are or what you are working towards there are definitely going to be times when you don’t feel like it. Finding yourself occasionally ‘off your game’ is normal but staying ‘off your game’ is unnecessary and can be avoided.
Below are a few suggestions on how to get yourself unstuck. Many people who I work with me one to one use these. See which ones work for you...
Do you keep losing focus?
Solution: Change your state.
When I wrote my book, I was hunched over the laptop, typing and then retyping. I would frequently lose motivation/concentration and would grind to a halt. The harder I tried to force myself to focus the worse it got. By getting out of the chair and moving my body (picture me walking around the living room shaking my arms and legs, blowing raspberries and breathing deeply between!) for at least 2 minutes and then sitting back down I was able to carry on with renewed energy and focus.
When you get stuck, just change your state by moving, breathing deeply, shaking it out, jogging on the spot, skipping or even signing. Do any of them or all of them for at least 2 minutes and then get back to the task you are working on. Repeat if necessary.
Do you keep falling out of your routine?
Solution: Increase accountability
Get other people involved so you stick to your routine. Join a team or enter a challenge as a team.
Make a bet with someone with engaging stakes. Something like 'If I don’t do 10,00 steps everyday this month (checked via activity tracker app) then you (a friend) can post that embarrassing picture on social channels for all to see.'
Be creative.
Are you getting distracted by all the fun things you'd rather be doing?
Solution: Say 'yes, but not right now' rather than flat ‘No' or giving in.
Think deferred gratification. This is much better than, "I was going to go to do a workout but sod it I'll eat cake instead."
These are just three strategies that I recommend and that I find work. You can use all of them to help or perhaps one might work for you. At the end of the day, it’s all about keeping momentum and staying engaged with what you are doing.
