Staying Motivated This Summer
Happy Summer Y’all!
Summer is usually a time of the year where you are doing a little bit more on your own for your sport.
Your team may take a break during the summer time but your coach emphasizes the importance of training and staying fit on your own. You know the conversation.
The thing with summer break is that it can be hard to have the motivation to get your workouts and training in. And it can be overwhelming trying to plan out what you’re going to work on.
I remember one year my club coach gave us summer binders. It had all of the sprints, exercises, drills we should do on our own. It was scary to look at.
This thing had agility work, plyometrics, distance runs, soccer drills, juggling challenges. It was intense.
And honestly, it didn’t make me any more motivated having a binder filled with things to do.
Don’t get me wrong when I was at practice and my coach and teammates were there to push me, the motivation was there. But when I was on my own, the motivation definitely dwindled.
And there was a point where I was stuck in between decisions. Plus the feeling of summer FOMO. I didn’t want to miss out on the fun because I had to run sprints.
I had to choose:
Am I going to go on a run or go to the beach today?
Am I going to train outside or go hang out with friends?
Am I going to go to the gym or stay inside and watch tv?
It wasn’t always an easy decision to make. Even though I had big goals I was trying to achieve, of course hanging with friends sounded wayyyy better than going on a run.
So how do you maintain balance throughout the summer?
Because having fun, relaxing and enjoying yourself is important too! But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything all summer and show up to day one of fall season feeling behind.
Here are some things that are helpful:
Find a teammate or friend to workout with. Going on a run will be a lot easier when your teammate is there with you. And you guys will probably push each other to work harder as well.
Compromise is key. Maybe one day you hang with friends and the next you spend training. Just because you have free time every day doesn’t mean you have to train or work out every day. It might mean that you allow yourself to alternate between activities.
Create a plan. Schedule out your week of what you’d like to do for training and workouts. Keep in mind that if your friends typically text you to hang out at 1pm, try to schedule a workout in the morning.
Evaluate micro-quits. Micro-quits are times when you don’t do what you said you would do or you procrastinate. Ask yourself what led to procrastinating or not doing the thing. Then create a plan of how to overcome it next time. Because I know if it comes up once, it will probably happen again.
Celebrate what you are doing vs focusing on what you’re not doing. It’s easy to focus on, I should do this, or I could have done that, but it will only leave you feeling guilty. Instead, every time you get out there to train on your own, celebrate that win! Know that every minute you put in is progress towards your goals.
Having motivation throughout the summer break isn’t easy. I know from my own experience as an athlete. But I also know how to overcome the lack of motivation.
I know how to create a plan that you look forward to instead of dread. I know how to help you enjoy your summer while also making sport a priority too.
Ready to have a summer filled with fun and stay on track toward your goals too!