I was down in Sarasota last week talking with a girl I know fairly well. She had done one Spartan Beast Challenge competition earlier this month. Next, she is travelling to a Spartan event in South Carolina and Jacksonville after that. As she talked more, I realized that she really-really likes these events and a lot of her life revolves around Spartan activities. I've never done one so I couldn't fully get absorbed in her stories. When I asked her, "Why SC?" she told me that this particular 3-part series, multi-location Spartan Beast Challenge gets a really-really cool medal. I kept quiet while thinking, "You're going to travel to SC to line yourself up for a 3-part series completion medal?"
I kept listening, but I again realized that I am in 0-no way motivated by special medals like these or the Disney Coast-to-Coast ones. It's great that some people get excited by that. You've got to get excited by something, and well - can you imagine how competitive or depressing it would be if we were all only motivated by the same single thing? I'm glad she's found something that revs her up. On my drive home I had to think about what revved me up before and what revs me up now.
It's not medals. It never has been. It wasn't the state rings that were my motivating factor, except a tad bit for the one that I got to mimic my brother's.
The motivation, for me, would be to have people know me, to be famous in my field, for people to think highly of me, for them to want my autograph, to be sought out for interviews or posters, to have the platform to talk with coaches and kids and adults about athletics and the role it has in my life.
In high school, I was motivated by breaking records and getting the State Championship. I enjoyed the pictures up in the gym with my teammates and coaches, by myself, and next to my brother. Those pictures would be there for years. If the records were good enough, they'd be there for years, too. The work would stick around for a little while longer. For awhile they could see my name or my face and recall how hard I worked, how nice our group of girls was, or be motivated by the example, understand the tradition, and accept the challenge.
Yeah, the last two paragraphs might sound selfish or be egotistical, but those things were somewhat motivating. Moreso I'd say I was thankful and it was nice to receive the recognition and to represent. It may have also been for the reason that how we competed didn't involve running out of a tunnel to cheering crowds or coordinated cheers in the student section. We ran over train tracks, into the woods for awhile, and met early in the morning and ran while it was still dark outside. Half of our competitions weren't at home.
The real motivation (the non-things) has come from constant intrinsic discipline. I wouldn't get outworked. I had a young head that developed strongly around the ideas of doing what I learned, what I was told, and what was needed. I pushed because I could. How could you not? How could you leave practice before you were done? How could you not complete your weight room workout and step it up from the previous workout? How could you not run the given mileage and strides as prescribed or even one more if you lost count? Why were these ideas so strongly burnt in me?
I'm glad they were though. What things and non-things motivate you? What doesn't motivate you at all?
I kept listening, but I again realized that I am in 0-no way motivated by special medals like these or the Disney Coast-to-Coast ones. It's great that some people get excited by that. You've got to get excited by something, and well - can you imagine how competitive or depressing it would be if we were all only motivated by the same single thing? I'm glad she's found something that revs her up. On my drive home I had to think about what revved me up before and what revs me up now.
It's not medals. It never has been. It wasn't the state rings that were my motivating factor, except a tad bit for the one that I got to mimic my brother's.
The motivation, for me, would be to have people know me, to be famous in my field, for people to think highly of me, for them to want my autograph, to be sought out for interviews or posters, to have the platform to talk with coaches and kids and adults about athletics and the role it has in my life.
In high school, I was motivated by breaking records and getting the State Championship. I enjoyed the pictures up in the gym with my teammates and coaches, by myself, and next to my brother. Those pictures would be there for years. If the records were good enough, they'd be there for years, too. The work would stick around for a little while longer. For awhile they could see my name or my face and recall how hard I worked, how nice our group of girls was, or be motivated by the example, understand the tradition, and accept the challenge.
Yeah, the last two paragraphs might sound selfish or be egotistical, but those things were somewhat motivating. Moreso I'd say I was thankful and it was nice to receive the recognition and to represent. It may have also been for the reason that how we competed didn't involve running out of a tunnel to cheering crowds or coordinated cheers in the student section. We ran over train tracks, into the woods for awhile, and met early in the morning and ran while it was still dark outside. Half of our competitions weren't at home.
The real motivation (the non-things) has come from constant intrinsic discipline. I wouldn't get outworked. I had a young head that developed strongly around the ideas of doing what I learned, what I was told, and what was needed. I pushed because I could. How could you not? How could you leave practice before you were done? How could you not complete your weight room workout and step it up from the previous workout? How could you not run the given mileage and strides as prescribed or even one more if you lost count? Why were these ideas so strongly burnt in me?
I'm glad they were though. What things and non-things motivate you? What doesn't motivate you at all?
