Motivation

One of the most common issues when working with athletes is understanding the role motivation plays. We often think of motivation as a finite object that is good or bad and we can switch it off or on. If it’s bad we aren’t “vibing it” or we have to rebuild our “mojo”. If it’s good we are on fire.

It’s a pretty fragile system to be honest, when it isn’t used correctly.

The biggest issue is we blame ourselves if we dont have motivation. But remember motivation happens by us not to us.

I’d like to look a little more under the bonnet on this and pull back a few layers so you can understand the role motivation plays as well as the factors influencing it.

First things first….. Motivation is the number 1 factor that influences behaviour.

If we are “up” we train great. If we are down we train poorly.

Let’s say our performances stagnate. We then tell ourselves we aren’t good enough to reach our goals and then this drops our motivation. We are in a loop of not knowing where to look to get better. We doubt everything. Training gets worse and then performances get worse. All until we strike a new wave of the magic motivation.

The COMB model

C = Capability
O = Opportunity
M = Motivation
B = Behaviours

Capability and Opportunity influence your Motivation and the Motivation is now having a relationship with your behaviours.

For example :

Let’s say your capability is currently set at “pretty good”. Your results show promise to achieve your ultimate goal if you train hard and stay patient.

Let’s say also that your opportunity might be “high”. Involved in a strong squad, with great coaching :) and financially able to meet the resource needs to purchase equipment, travel to races and commit the time needed to train as much as required.

This has now set your motivation levels to high , and ….. It has influenced your behaviours to a point where you are eating well, training consistently and doing most things right.

Capability and Opportunity leads you to be motivated and now your behaviours are good as a result.

BUT you have some sessions or races that said you weren’t where you wanted to be. So now you go back to the top of the loop and question your capability. This now has that direct influence on motivation and motivation influences your training. Doubt starts to arise and you start to diminish your intensity of effort.

So we can see that motivation is the central piece we need to influence as it is what drives our behaviours.

Put simply - motivation is everything and we can influence it if we understand it.

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The PRIME Model

Plans - the over-arching structure to your goals. Your training diaries, and physical or mental to-do lists
Responses - searching for our external influences to create a positive response. This is mostly other people)
Impulses - sensory processes influenced by habit or instinct
Motives - wants (anticipated pleasure) and needs (anticipated relief from discomfort)
Evaluations - deep beliefs and values. what is good / bad … right / wrong

All of these things are influencing your motivation. If they are managed well then the outcomes will be favourable.

How do we use this newfound understanding of ourselves?

Process > Outcomes

Let’s say you identify that poor consistency is a behaviour that could be developed.

Using the PRIME model you could:

1. Set a plan that creates some goals and check lists that keeps you guided towards consistency. Perhaps a checklist on the fridge doors with your goal of say 90% sessions complete

2. Look for the responses that are occuring when outside influences have an effect

3. Identify the impulses that cause you to fall into bad habits (say hitting the snooze button - a very impulsive behavior) and be aware that they will hold you back. Set boundaries around them.

4. Develop underlying motives to achieve the anticipated pleasure of your goal. Put a picture up of someone breaking the tape of a race if winning a race is your goal. Have a motive and make it run very deep, and very personal.

5. Set up beliefs and values you need to be great. Identify what’s good or bad and what is right or wrong. Recognise you will have conflicts around this. Classic case was the Australian Cricket team becoming too driven by their winning mindset and their values became compromised.