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Have you ever lost your momentum and drive? Feel lost and unfocused in practice? Don’t remember why you go to the skating rink every day?
Feeling this loss of motivation can happen for many reasons, but no matter what the reason you can use the steps in this article to pick yourself up again.
Some reasons for loss of motivation:
- End of the season
- Giving your all at a competition
- Reaching a milestone
- Landing a jump after years of practice
- Achieving your wildest dream
I work with a skater who has lost her focus and drive to practice, after a spectacular close to her season. Some finally land their double axel after months or years of work only to feel no motivation to tackle the triple sal.
We can learn from mountaineer, Adrian Ballinger, who at age 41 reached the summit of Mt Everest without oxygen, a goal he made when he was 14 years old.
After reaching a goal like this, people imagine he would be (pun intended), “on top of the world.” Yes, he was. For a short time. Then came the feelings of emptiness and loss of purpose.
It might come as a surprise to young athletes who have yet to reach their ultimate goal in sports, that this feeling of triumph doesn’t last forever, and sometimes comes with a pause in that steady momentum forward.
Think about the excitement and anticipation leading up to your birthday or Christmas when you were a young child. You were full of excited anticipation, wondering what gifts you would receive.
The day comes and you rip open your gifts, “ooh” and “aah,” excited with your new stuff. But soon you get bored. “Is that it?” That empty feeling is a big difference from that wonderful feeling of anticipation. You crave the next exciting thing, but, “now I have to wait 12 months before the next “great” thing. You feel discouraged.
This lack of motivation can come from small triumphs and large. It doesn’t happen all the time, but the next time you feel it, you can take steps to re-energize yourself and get your motivation going again.
Around this time of the year, many high level skaters feel this lack of direction and motivation. Sometimes it’s pure exhaustion. Most of them have spent the last 4 months of the season intensely focused on qualifying then peaking at the final competition of the year.
When their season ends, many find themselves at a loss. They feel empty, lack direction, sad, unmotivated, unwilling to start another year of intense difficult work. No matter if their season ended with a triumph or a failure to reach their goal.
- I don’t know what to do with myself.
- I feel like I lack focus.
- I don’t feel like I am working hard.
- I am not motivated to do anything.
- I feel like a slug.
There is a reasonable explanation for this. We will talk about the end of a season, but this holds true for smaller goals like landing jump for the first time after months of effort.
The difference between the intensity of purpose and focus during the last part of the season is a big contrast to coming back to the rink at the beginning of the season where the emphasis is on off-ice conditioning to build strength, skill building on the ice and laying the foundation for the new season.
Many skaters will not take time to celebrate their achievement or to reflect on the past season before jumping into the next season.
It is understandable that they want to keep the momentum from the last season; the conditioning and focus, when everything felt so good. But there is a cycle, a rhythm to the skating season that must be respected in order to stay healthy and avoid burnout.
It is a routine part of my work with skaters to complete a Postseason Reflection exercise at the end of each season. This allows skaters to take the time to reflect on and and celebrate their season. They decide what they want to do more of and what they want to do less of. This becomes the foundation of a new season plan.
This mindfulness is a priority in this sport where athletes train all year long, and the minimum commitment until excellence can span more than a decade.
Skaters, Coaches and Parents need to be aware that the season has a rhythm. Parents often make the mistake of wanting their skater to keep the intense focus and momentum they see during qualifying season going all year long.
On the other hand skaters want to “relax” and take it easy during the off season and pre-season.
How can skaters keep the forward progress that they had during the last part of the year?
5 Steps Back to Motivation
- Take an adequate break after accomplishments, competition or season end.
- Take time to celebrate your accomplishments big or small.
- When you start the next thing, focus only on the tasks necessary for improvement.
- Take one day at a time. Stay in the process.
- Allow excitement and anticipation to build back gradually.
If you are at the beginning of the season:
- Know what cycle of the season you are in and what the intent is.
- Know and accept the intensity and focus in each cycle of the season is unique.
Remember that you are human, not a machine. These ups and downs that you feel are normal. Recognize and accept this.
Ask for help if you cannot get yourself back on track. Remember that skating looks like an individual sport, but no one really does it alone. You need a team to support you.
I work with many skaters and each one of them has experienced to low points. You are not alone. Other skaters, feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or feel like giving up. Please reach out for help.
Pay attention to the cycles of the season and understand that your intensity and focus will change throughout the season.
Accept this and you will be able to stay in the sport as long as you desire.
In this video, mountaineer Adrian Ballinger talks about his feelings after reaching his life long goal of reaching the summit of Mt. Everest without oxygen.
Even though his was a momentous goal, these steps can help you anytime whenever you feel unmotivated or have lost your direction in sports or in life.
Here are his tips:
- Be okay with feeling a loss of purpose and direction after reaching a goal
- You might feel emotional depression which can be caused by physical exhaustion
- Stop and take a break, breaks are incredibly important to success and happiness
- Reflect on the event
- Take time to feel the accomplishment
- You will get excited about the next things
Action Plan
The next time you feel unmotivated or don’t know why you are showing up to practice every day, review and take the 5 steps back to Mojo.
A strong mindset is not just brute force determination to get the job done. Attend and focus on your mental game, and you will excel in your sport and in life.
What is your goal?
Where you be in a year from now if you keep doing what you are doing with no change?
If you don’t like what you see, take action. Start by Downloading “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook and get busy with the tips now!