Motivation vs Determination
Through my journey of rather harshly finding out just what the human mind is capable of, I have learned to pay very close attention to the mindset I bring to everything I do. This includes making connections between even slight differences in the language I use when I speak to myself. Sometimes it's simple things like changing from telling myself that I suck at chin ups, to I need to work on chin ups. Other times, it can be more complex, such as when I evaluate something I did that in retrospect I didn't like, I try to approach it with curiosity and name it 'interesting' so I can learn from it; rather than giving it a moral value and naming it 'repulsive', which just serves to bring me down.
The greatest distinction in self talk I have made when it comes to achieving my goals in training, study, and general life, is that of motivation versus determination. To me, they are very different things with different levels of desire tied to them. Something of highest priority becomes something I am determined to do, while something lower down my priority list is something I am motivated to do.
The reason I made this distinction is that I realised motivation is a fickle thing. We applaud people for being motivated, saying they are go-getters and high achievers because they have high levels of 'motivation'. But over a year, month, week, day, or even a single workout, motivation waxes and wanes. If we always relied on motivation to get things done, what happens when you don't sleep well, feel a little sick, an easier offer pops up, and motivation for something that is usually high has bottomed out? This is where if the task is high priority, determination steps in.
When I put something in my 'motivated' list, it means that the drive to complete the task can be outweighed if things are going completely against it, or my energy is low. It means that 'good enough' is an acceptable outcome. For the things on my 'determined' list, nothing can outweigh the drive to do everything in my power to achieve them. I bring a tunnel vision to them that means 'good enough' is never acceptable, only 'that was the absolute best I can do'.
I apply this prioritisation to anything and everything.
For study, I am motivated to summarise every lecture, to do all my pre-reading, and to attend non-compulsory classes when it fits my schedule. On the other hand I am determined to get all my assignments done on time and to my best ability; and to show up to every single compulsory class unless extreme circumstances apply.
For life, I am motivated to have a cold shower and do yoga every morning, and to keep my room and desk tidy. But I am determined to get 8-10 hours sleep, to put my mental health first, and to get in the best nutrition I am able.
Where this motivation/determination distinction really comes into play and has the most effect for me, is training. We all have those days where getting up and training hard seems damn near impossible, and the rain or thought of a sleep in try to tempt us back to bed. When I am in a motivated block of training, or it's not a key workout, the sleep in wins out and I'll shuffle my day around. Likewise if I am in the middle of a workout or race that I was only motivated to do, and it gets really painful and hard, I am much more likely to step off the gas.
Then, when a race is coming up that I truly want to test myself in and give my all, I switch to consciously bringing a mindset of determination to what I do. I am getting out of that bed and working hard as long as my body is able, and nothing can tempt me otherwise. I will push through much more pain and fatigue in training and racing to get the absolute best out of myself. That being said, an underlying determination that always applies in order to ensure longevity is that I can train/race through every single excuse not to, but I don't train through any reasons not to. (Another distinction: excuse = its cold, reason = injury/illness)
Right now, coming off injury and staring down a few comeback races, I am loving being deep in determined mode. That means I sleep-eat-train-eat-study-eat-train-sleep, then rinse and repeat every day. It means I end each day happily exhausted and I don't talk to many people at all, as I am in my own blissful world that takes all my energy. For periods like this, which usually come in the 8 weeks lead up to a key race, training and study win out over everything else and whatever socialising I can fit in is a bonus that I more often than not go without. I choose to approach it this way because I love these periods, they are where I feel most alive. I thrive on bringing a determined mindset to each day, and the only reason I exit these periods is when I know I need to switch to being determined to rest and catch up with friends in order to recover and go again. Because the downside to prolonged determination for only one thing, is burnout, and I never want that.
If this speaks to you at all, when you next look at your goals or to do list see if prioritising them and assigning a mindset of motivation or determination to them helps you on the path to achieving them. Remember both have their place, so as much as it may seem desirable or 'stronger', determination definitely isn't always the answer. Also, it doesn't even have to be the exact words motivation & determination, whatever ideas speak to you personally will always work best.
Overall, when it comes to mindset and self talk, as long as you move towards being more conscious and purposeful about it you will learn more about yourself and can slowly change many deeply ingrained mental habits. We all know the value of training your body and training your profession, but never underestimate the strong foundation that can come from first and foremost training your mind.
Still We Rise.