ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT WE DO THIS FOR FUN
Every one of us has our own reason why for everything we do. Physical activity and sport whether it be a couch to 5K, a Master’s swim meet, a marathon, a sprint triathlon, a Spartan race, an Iron distance race or anything in between, is one thing where we each have our own story and each of us has our own why. Some of us have been athletes or at least athletic for most of our lives while others admittedly were not athletic as a child, but found sport later in life. Maybe it was to keep up with our kids, maybe it was because our doctor told us we needed to get healthy or had a health scare, maybe we met someone who motivated us to want to start moving, or maybe it was to prove something to someone or more importantly to prove something to ourselves. Each of us has our own why and each of us found sport through our own journey, but what happens when we lose our motivation or we lose our joy, or we no longer have harmony or peace with our athletic endeavors and it becomes a job or a chore?
Experiencing burnout or losing our joy or passion is something that happens to most of us. Real life is exhausting; work, family, home life, a spouse / significant other, maintaining friendships, and finding time to train on top of that can beat the best of us, so how do we do it all and do it well? To be honest, maybe we can’t and you know what, that is ok! First things first – always remember WE DO THIS FOR FUN!!! This should be about fun, health, friendships, camaraderie, and if PRs and podiums come about, then that is icing on the cake. I think many of us look at others and wonder – how do they do it all and do it so well? Remember, we do not know what happens behind closed doors and we do not know what is occurring in anyone else’s head, so never ever compare yourself to anyone else!
Find your joy in what you are doing. If you are having difficulty getting motivated, if you are becoming frustrated with your workouts, if you aren’t enjoying what you are doing, go back to a few things. Remember that this is what we do for fun!!! First and foremost – have fun!!! Go back to what made you start in the first place, ask yourself why are you doing this? What are your core values and your core goals and every day remind yourself of that. If you are still not feeling it, you know what – that is ok!!! I promise, it is ok! Allow yourself the grace to step away. You don’t have to feel guilty, you don’t have to beat yourself up, just allow yourself to take a break. It will all still be there in a week, a month, 6 months, a year. Go back to basics, find what you love or what you enjoy and do it, even if it means putting sport on the back burner.
Stay tuned for part 2: Putting aside the guilt of missing a workout
Author: Katherine Moskal