Surfing is difficult for me. I get pounded out there, but it’s SO worth it!
Motivation is a tricky thing. It comes and goes like the wind. We can wake up ready to save the world or with some serious Netflix ambition. I cannot say what works for others and all I know is how I, personally, get myself to place the next foot in front of the previous. One thing, that is consistent for all, is that true motivation is not something we feel. When the Muse visits, it’s easy to be motivated. It’s when we don’t feel like it, but stick to the commitments we’ve made to ourselves, regardless of how we feel, when true motivation is found.
For me, as an aging athlete, motivation is tied closely with physical energy. I’ve lived hard and my body feels like it. So for me, the most important factor in finding motivation is taking care of myself so that I will have physical energy. This means proper sleep and nutrition. It means sticking to a regimen of body maintenance and recovery. This is the foundation, the skeleton of my day to day. In the days when I don’t feel like doing anything, at least I do this.
Obstacles makes things interesting
The next most important factor is hope. There are many motivators, but hope is the most powerful. For me, this means having goals. If I have something that I’m working towards, something to look forward to, then there is purpose and direction for what I do every day. My goals tend to be adventures that I want to go on. Acquiring, developing, and researching gear I need for said adventures is a big part of that. A lot of the time, it's small things, like working on my bike or cleaning my van. In the days I don’t feel like doing anything, at least I can do the small things that work towards my goals.
Sometimes, we experience set backs or just don’t have the will. In those times, I do a few things to keep moving. The first is to stick to what I call my Minimal List. If I just complete the things on the list, whether I feel like it or not, then at least I will feel ok with myself. Here’s the list:
Wake up before 8
Eat something healthy
Get outside and move for at least 30mins
Complete one outside errand
Complete one household task
That’s it! This can be different for everyone. When, I wake up not wanting to do anything at all, my inner monolog goes like this, “All you gotta do is wake up before 8.” I pull myself out of bed. “Good job. Now all you gotta do is make a smoothie.” Done. “OK awesome. Let's just get outside for 30mins,” and so on.
This was a tough trip, but what learned was necessary.
The second thing I do, when I’m going from one thing to the next and feeling like I just want to lay down, is whisper to myself, over and over again, these exact words, “Just keep going. Just keep going” For some reason, this works for me. Now, my natural inclination is whisper to myself, “You are a looser,” so I guess this makes sense. At least I’m not bringing myself down. It does more than that though. An object in motion tends to stay in motion and it reminds me that if I get to the next step, then the step after that might not be so hard to make.
The third thing I do is remind myself that my life is not about me. If you have family, this is an easy one. If you are like me and don’t, then it can be bit more complicated. I have a unique situation where I can just do the things I love and people are stoked. Being paralyzed is an odd gift in that way. All I can say is that when you put yourself out there, you give others permission to do the same. It can be as simple as that. When I do, all it takes is one person telling me how I motivated them and its on!
Latest podcast episode giving more detail on my trip to Port Angeles and the San Juan Islands
It's important to remind ourselves that its ok to do nothing sometimes though. That day binging a show with the blinds drawn is a necessary and important part of our life cycles. Life is funny in that way. The pendulum swings. I like to allow myself to wallow. I like to embrace loneliness. The really weird thing is that sometimes, when I dig deep enough into those types of feelings, I reach ground water. If I’m watching a sunset, feeling sad, it seems oddly more beautiful in a way. If I’m sipping a scotch, lonely late at night, the scotch oddly tastes much better.
This is being human. It’s beautiful. For me, its important to do little things to keep moving because there is a lot I want to accomplish, but remembering the odd dichotomy of human nature helps me accept myself as I am.