Tips on increasing motivation

I have a few ideas but I came across this video a while back and it may be just the help you need:

Self-Create Motivation for BJJ Training

Consistency is the key as with most things, just doing it generates the motivation itself. Those mental walls that build up where we just don't feel like it just need to be conquered...it gets easier when you build the momentum, so take solace that this will be the hardest that it'll get and celebrate when you drag yourself there anyway because it only gets easier from that first push.

I know this sounds stupid but it's really what I do. Finish work. Sort my BJJ bag by the door, the about 45 mins before I need to be at class I have a redbull or coffee. Then play upbeat cool music on the way there. By time I'm there I'm hyped.

@@Powdercoater you have to find your purpose. What is your goal? What are you trying to accomplish? Why do you do it? How do you see yourself?

Motivation is temporary. It's about finding the desire and dedication. To create actual dedication you have to build habits and many times the process of building habits involves going through a "grind" period. This is a period of hard work.

Then the habit builds and it becomes part of you. It then becomes something you miss and part of your life.

Jason_Scully, post: 63517, member: 1

@@Powdercoater you have to find your purpose. What is your goal? What are you trying to accomplish? Why do you do it? How do you see yourself?

Motivation is temporary. It's about finding the desire and dedication. To create actual dedication you have to build habits and many times the process of building habits involves going through a "grind" period. This is a period of hard work.

Then the habit builds and it becomes part of you. It then becomes something you miss and part of your life.

Definitely encourage you to read James Clear's Atomic Habits.

It's easy to get into the habit of procrastinating or changing your mind.

One simple tool, is to let what you really want have the last word.
To switch the order in which you talk to yourself.
And use the power of "Yes/But" to your advantage.

For example,

Yes, I really want to go to the gym and feel better when I do but I had a long day and I'm tired.

So, I don't go.

But if I switch it,

Yes, I had a long day and I'm tired but I really want to go to the gym and feel better when I do."

So, I end up going.

Try not to build a habit of quitting or canceling on yourself.

If you do talk yourself out of going to the gym, try not to do that twice in a row.

sovann, post: 63700, member: 14430

Definitely encourage you to read James Clear's Atomic Habits.

Good book. I recommend it as well.

As Jason said before, motivation ebbs and flows. You need dedication. BUUTTTT also realize that for 99.9% of us it is just a hobby and you don't have to be 100% dedicated ALL the time. Have you tried reducing the amount of times you go per week. I remember when I was a white belt I was training 8x/week (4 days/week, 2x/day). Every now and then I would feel slightly burnt out. I would force myself to train but I would reduce my volume to 3 or 4x/week instead. After about a week or so the reduced volume let me catch back up. If you're a normal person who trains 3 or 4x, maybe reduce it to once or twice for 1-3 weeks. Sometimes you just need a smaller mental break.

Burn out is a legitimate thing. Sometimes you actually need a break for mental or physical recovery. Take some time and think about why you train, and if it's something you really want to do. Your scenario you laid out is how many of my days go. Some of those days I stay home and rest, and other days I force myself to go and am really happy when I do. You have to make training part of your life, but not force it to be your whole life.

Powdercoater, post: 63417, member: 23283

For the past 8 months or so I've been really having troubling showing up for training. I'll start off committed in the morning to training that evening but as the day goes on my enthusiasm wanes and, when I get home from work, I find it really difficult to go back out. And the more time I stay away from training, the harder it is to go the next day. Do you guys have any tips to get out of this slump?

Take motivation out of the equation and replace it with dedication. If you only do things when you are motivated you will have many times where you simply aren't motivated. If it is a matter of being dedicated to doing something whether you want to or not you will get more done. Do the hard work ESPECIALLY when you don't feel like it

focus more on routine and consistency rather than spurts of motivation, you don't need motivation to brush your teeth but you do it everyday without even considering it.

Powdercoater, post: 63417, member: 23283

For the past 8 months or so I've been really having troubling showing up for training. I'll start off committed in the morning to training that evening but as the day goes on my enthusiasm wanes and, when I get home from work, I find it really difficult to go back out. And the more time I stay away from training, the harder it is to go the next day. Do you guys have any tips to get out of this slump?

If you're feeling overly fatigued, that could warrant a visit to the doctor.

When a healthy person gets regular exercise, it pays dividends in energy later on, so doing some exercise even when you're tired is worth it. In the late afternoon, people have a natural dip in energy due to circadian rhythms, so knowing that is just part of your body's clock and not an indication that you need rest, could help motivate you when feeling tired.

One more thing, connecting with people socially could help motivate you to show up. Asking someone for help with a technique, offering to drill with someone else, offering someone a ride, posting things in the gym chat, attending BJJ related events, etc. I don't think I would be motivated to do BJJ or any other exercise if there was no social aspect to it. Its nice to celebrate other peoples' development as grapplers.