Motivation

One of my mottoes is, “Don’t wait around for motivation, just do it.”

Alternatively, “Lack of motivation is just another excuse”.

I did parkrun and had a coffee date with a friend on Saturday, and we were discussing that topic.

Basically, expecting to be motivated is just putting an obstacle in front of you.

If I analyse it to death, I have both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for my running.

Mostly, it’s intrinsic. I get so much joy, peace, and excitement from running, plus a real sense of achievement in achieving goals and mini-goals. I love learning about running, and I think about it a lot. Running is to me what meditation is to others. A time to appreciate Nature, to enjoy the moment, and to think better. Zenmode.

I also gain external motivation from staying fit, keeping at my goal weight, and being healthy. I love seeing the data and statistics of my runs, and taking nice photos I can share with others. Plus, I love earning extra calories for more things to eat.

I’m not sure if friendship counts as internal or external motivation. Some days I run with friends. Running and parkrun has let me make lots of really good friends who affect my psychology in a very positive way. Making friends has made me much more confident and willing to aim for goals and do events.

But I never think about these things when I’m in bed when the alarm goes off at 5 am. Morning runs and walks are a habit.

I don’t wait for motivation to strike like a blinding flash of light that’s supposed to solve everything.

I just fucking do it.