How To Stay Motivated During The Competition Season
Written by Calvin Sun
Competing in the sport of CrossFit is not recommended for the mentally uncommitted. At the competitive level, the sport is just as demanding mentally as it is physically. It can be hard to stay motivated through the hours and hours of exhausting and arduous training. Your life begins to revolve around training, recovering, eating, sleeping, and training some more. Things can get a little repetitive and motivation can begin to wane for some athletes. You might begin to question why you are putting yourself through such an experience. If you find your motivation is in a state of decline this season, consider these tips to help you get your mental game back on track.
Remember Your “Why”
Take some time to revisit your purpose for competing and training. What’s the deeper reason behind why you chose to pursue this sport in the first place? Is your motivation intrinsically or extrinsically driven? Did you make the mistake of jumping into competing without taking the time to clarify your purpose for doing so in the first place? Step back from training for a moment and remember (or reevaluate) your “why”.
“When you live for a strong purpose, then hard work isn’t an option. It’s a necessity.” – Steve Pavlina
Focus On Your Goals
Have you lost sight of the goal? You can’t hit a target if you don’t know what you’re aiming at. Remind yourself of what you are trying to achieve through your hard work. You should be very clear on exactly what you want to accomplish. Do not go through training hoping things will work out or just seeing what happens. Do not allow frivolous, silly bullshit to get in your way or take you off your path.
“The goal is to keep the goal the goal.” – Dan John
Surround Yourself With Positive, Motivated Training Partners
Great training partners are worth their weight in gold. They challenge you when you feel complacent. They motivate you when your enthusiasm is diminished. They help keep you accountable when your coach isn’t around. And most importantly, they keep training fun. If you find yourself surrounded by negative people who kill your motivation, you either need to find a new gym or find new training partners.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn
If you want more ideas on how to stay motivated, set effective goals, and develop your mental toughness, I recommend reading “The Invictus Mindset: An Athlete’s Guide To Mental Toughness”. The book is a collection of the strategies and philosophies that Invictus athletes have utilized to achieve their biggest goals and reach success in every area of their life. We’ve received tons of great reviews for the book and we hope that it can help you on your journey as well!