Today, I want to revisit a topic I wrote about 10 years ago on my very first blog. Back toward the earlier parts of my Capoeira career, a lot of my learning was on my own, and I had to work hard to maintain my drive and focus. Here wer my thoughts then which still reflect the way I think about motivation now, I hope you enjoy!
One topic that comes up often among people I train is motivation. People across all domains are always seeking ways to boost their motivation, and I think we can see that reflected in the book we read and media we consume. We do our best work when we are the most driven; when we are focused, positive, and pushing hard. So then, the key to maximizing your success is to be super motivated all the time, right?
No one is always motivated. Motivation comes in waves, and for every period of superhuman drive there is another where its tough to get moving. The down times can come for many reasons: slow progress, frustration with whatever movement/problem you are working on, or interruptions from the rest of your life. Sometimes it comes for seemingly no reason. De-motivation is in a way unavoidable, so learning how to deal with it is critical to long-term progress in your art/hobby/career.
Different people deal with motivation (and de-motivation) in different ways, but I think the best way to handle this, and what has kept me going, is to look at the big picture of why you are doing what you’re doing. Whatever art or skill you are working on, there is some reason why you are there in the first place. Something inspired you at the beginning to get started, and drove you to keep working at it. When low motivation sets in, people can start to lose sight of that big picture and instead focus on smaller frustrations.
When you see the problems as small bumps to your big picture, then that’s all the power they have. They are simply a natural part of progression that you must suffer through to get to where you want to be.
The frustrations, difficulties, and plateaus you will inevitably reach are all very small parts of the greater art. You can still love your art while dealing with the small things, and that is what keeps me moving forward. So when you feel down or not driven, look for something that reminds you of that big picture: videos, books, articles, or even just reflection. You decide how much power your de-motivators have over you, so embrace them as part of the process and you will thrive in your art for a very long time.
What has been something that helped motivate you along the way?
-Instructor Mike
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