How do I stay motivated?

Are you one of those who say it's easy to exercise regularly but hard to keep going? This article is about how we manage to stay on the ball with ease - always focusing on the next fun workout in functional fitness or another beloved sport.

Were there times when you felt exhausted or no longer able to do sport? Many problems such as physical or mental exhaustion, declining personal success, no longer enjoying sport, time management problems, prioritising other activities and some problems with the coach can be among the reasons for dropping out of sport or lack of continuity. You too may have experienced one or more of the above over time.

There are times when training becomes tiring, painful and boring. Some moments are no longer fun. Most people decide to stop exercising when they reach this point. During this time of intense uncertainty, with the disruption of routines, many people find it difficult to maintain continuity in sport. However, those who know and remember the source of their motivation can continue their journey at this point. This is because they turn to the parties they can control, adapt their environmental conditions to the current circumstances and find a way to motivate themselves in the process.

The most important way to understand burnout in sport is motivation, which can change over time. Sometimes it increases, sometimes it decreases and sometimes it stops at a certain level. Increases and decreases are normal in some ways. The important thing is to recognise the reason for these changes and to continue to protect the increases or to strive for them again and thus find a solution. For one person it may be the desire to top their individual records, while for another the reason may be to lose a few pounds.

We are all motivated in different ways, by different things. Some of us are motivated by being applauded by people, while others are motivated just by enjoying our sport. People with intrinsic motivational reasons do so to satisfy their struggle needs, fulfil their potential and improve their skills because they enjoy sport. Their motivational base comes from within, independent of any external factor. People who do sport to win prizes, to be socially accepted, to be applauded, have an extrinsaic motivational base.

Which motivational basis do you have? Or do you have both? There is no right or wrong answer. If you want your sport to be sustainable, you have to find your own internal motivation first! External factors can be temporary and out of your control, but internal factors are more permanent and entirely of your own making. Extrinsic motivation alone cannot suffice without intrinsic motivation. So you should first find the internal factors that motivate you and discover the external factors that accompany these internal factors. Because you need the balance between your internal and external motivation!

Having positive emotions about effort and goals is one of the most important elements to ensure sustainability. One of the most effective ways to maintain these positive feelings is to have motivational tips such as inspirational phrases and photos.

If you have quotes, mottos or photos that motivate you to take action, you can put them on your wardrobe in the bedroom or on the fridge in the kitchen.

There are three questions you should ask yourself and answer:

In which direction can I go? You can have three different answers to this. "I can give up the sport completely", "I can continue in the current situation" and "I am struggling to reach my maximum".

Which direction do I choose? You must choose one of these three answers. The direction you choose will be neither right nor wrong. What is important is that you decide how much time and effort you are going to put into it.

Can I dedicate myself to this path? If you make the choice to "struggle with difficulties to reach your own maximum", the last step is to dedicate yourself to this choice with all your strength.

Sometimes you may worry that you won't be able to achieve your goals. "What if I fail? What if I don't reach my goals?" If the goals you set have reached a commitment and a point that deviates from that line that you like, something is wrong.

How does a single word affect me? Although it may seem so simple, a single word can make a big difference in motivation. You want to achieve your goals because you chose them, not because someone forced you to. Loving and wanting what you do is at the heart of ensuring continuity. So instead of worrying about burdening yourself with obligations, you might want to change your language to the positive.

Knowing what we want before we start exercising is the most important basic attitude. To do this, we must first know ourselves, determine what outcome we want to achieve and make a plan of what we need to do to achieve the desired goal. This plan actually forms our list of goals.

We have to decide exactly how and on which part of our body we want to gain muscle or lose fat through dieting, for example, and find an appropriate type of sport. We should thus create the most suitable diet list for our sport. For the most effective diet list, it is useful to consult a nutritionist who is an expert in his field. After that, we need to take determined steps towards our goal. In the end, we will achieve the goal unconditionally.

Man is a social being and an organism that feels secure in a crowd. As in any other subject, a sports friend in sport also increases our motivation considerably. A gym buddy who prevents us from experiencing small escapades in the athletic process and reminds us of our goal will have a positive effect on us in this process.

Whether it's CrossFit, strength training or HIIT, sport in a group is always more fun. If you're running alone and complaining about it, meet other people who are running the same route - maybe you can reach out to a group on social media and join the group. The sweet competition between group members will make you a motivated athlete. This way, you will surely have more fun and improve yourself. Moreover, the friendships that come out of these groups are also more than worth mentioning.

Creating your own ritual is one of the most important elements of continuity in sport. If you feel uncomfortable not doing strength training three days a week, for example, then bravo - you have managed to make the sport you love a part of your life. So the most important element of lifelong sport is also a ritual. To achieve this ritual, it is necessary to continue the sport you are doing for many months and years.

You do not have to start immediately with a strict change in your diet. However, you can step into the kitchen and try a healthy recipe and just see if it works for you. There are dozens of recipes on the internet. For example, you can bake a pancake right away, decorate it with fruit and enjoy it. If you like clean eating, this is a very good decision - because you have taken a step towards your own individual eating ritual.