Skaterdude has to practice a forward camel with a change of edge spin for his program, but hates doing it. He keeps falling, it’s difficult, and his body is sore.
It is so frustrating when he can’t get it right, but in his mind he hears his spin coach saying, “You need it in your program this year, for levels and points.”
In his mind, he knows that practicing it will make him better, but his heart is not in it. He would rather jump; he’s a jumper.
He knows all the clichés – Practice makes perfect; Everything is practice; The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is practice. With practice, his spins would get better, in fact, the only way his spins will improve is if he practices every day.
But gosh, he doesn’t want to. In general, he’ll practice for 5 minutes one day, then not again for 2 weeks.
His only motivation is when his coach asks, “Did you practice your spins?”
Thus, the camel spin becomes more of a tailspin.
Spinning Out of Control
Skaterdude wants to get better. He knows that it is essential to practice, but he hates to practice. He’s not good at doing spins.
In the end, he only hurts himself if he doesn’t practice, because he will lose out on the opportunity to score valuable points. He needs to overcome this lack of motivation.
No one feels motivated to do things they don’t like. It is easy to forget or put them off, but when you avoid the inevitable, you only make things worse.
Yes, it is scary and unpleasant in the moment, but you have to see the big picture. It might not seem important or urgent now, but down the road, it will be too late. Not to mention the frustration, regret and stress you will feel when you don’t have the skills you want when competition rolls around.
No one ever gets better by avoiding the struggles. Don’t lose your momentum or let things spin out of control. Instead, learn how to build your momentum a little at a time.
Break it Down
The good news is that you can change your habit of avoiding difficulties.
First, stop looking at this as a monumental challenge. Break down your task (i.e. forward camel) into small bite-sized pieces. Start small, practice 5 minutes a day for a week, then 7 minutes a day the next week, then a little more.
Keep going until you see a little improvement, then a little more. Eventually, the improvement you experience will become your motivation to practice the no longer “dreaded” task, regularly.
Build it Up
Here are some ways to build your momentum to establish a new habit:
- Schedule time in your calendar.
- Start small. How about 5 minutes a day or 5 minutes per session. Do this for a week, then increase the duration.
- Make it a routine.
- It is easier to remember to do something when it is done daily instead of sporadically.
- Associate the task with something.
- For example: use the last 15 minutes of your session for spins.
- Practice your edges for the first 15 minutes of your session.
- In the beginning, use reminders until it becomes a habit.
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- Use a post-it note on your water bottle
- Put a reminder on your phone
- Find an “Accountabilibuddy,” a friend to keep you accountable.
- Download a habit building app.
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As the saying goes, small daily habits lead to long-term growth. Little by little, you will start to see results.
You will reach a point where you see progress and might even feel inspired to practice as these habits become routine. Your lack of motivation can turn into a surge of momentum.
Your attitude will become less of, “I need to practice because my coach said to do it,” and more of “I want to practice to improve.”
Once your motivation comes from within, there is no stopping you.
Just Do It
We are all guilty of avoiding things we don’t feel like doing for a variety of reasons:
- It’s too hard.
- I don’t want to mess up.
- It’s embarrassing.
Other than these thoughts, there is nothing to stop us from improvement. We can create our own motivation by breaking down a task then building momentum up little by little.
Learn to become the “I” in motivate and the “ME” in momentum. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch but the point is, you can motivate your own momentum, you don’t need to stay stuck.
Skaterdude got all his levels on his spin at Regionals and qualified for Sectionals because he broke down his task then build up his momentum step by step.
He turned his lack of motivation into momentum and success. And that’s the best way to put a new spin on things.
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So what have you been putting off because it is too difficult? Do you think these tips can help? Share in the comments!
Mental skills training can make a difference because it can help you access what is already there during competition and practice.
Start here; download “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook and make a change.