We get a lot of questions on motivation. They vary from "How can I get motivated?" to "How can I stay motivated?"
To start, let's take a look at what motivation actually means. The dictionary definition is "a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way".
Looking at that definition is quite telling. There needs to be a reason, a goal if you like. The same as dieting has an end goal of being slim and healthy, training in a pool or open water needs to have an end goal. What are you training for? Why are you learning to swim? The end goal is where the motivation begins.
Firstly, I'd like to refer to someone that we had the great pleasure of teaching to swim. We can call him John. John came to us at the beginning of 2020 unable to swim. He was very nervous of the water. His first lesson comprised of just walking around the pool. John and his wife had booked a holiday abroad and they wanted to be able to swim together. John's goal became that swim in the hotel pool. He didn't want to sit on the side and watch his wife go swimming, he wanted to join her! The motivation to learn was the end goal. Whilst he was learning, a habit was forming. His regular attendance at swimming lessons enabled John to stay motivated and as his confidence grew, his goal was drawing ever closer. Despite all the lockdowns, he accomplished his goal. What a proud moment, when he sent us a little video of himself swimming a width in the hotel pool!! His goal accomplished because he had through the formation of habit, never lost the motivation to reach it!
Recently we ran a small event for our open water swimmers. We knew that as the summer ended and the colder weather came in a lot of our Solent Sea Swimmers wouldn't continue to keep coming until Christmas. Our event The Chilly Challenge was to average one swim per week from October 1st until December 31st. At the end was a medal. And of course an immense sense of achievement. Community Swims are held every week and around 20 of our sea swimmers signed up. Paying for the medal upfront added some commitment. Turning up every week formed a habit. The camaraderie of the group setting gave them that all important push to keep going.
Recording your steps to your goals is another way of keeping your motivation going. Looking back at how far you have come is sometimes all you need to give you that push to carry on. If it doesn't, chatting to others who have a similar goal helps to inspire and motivate you.
So this year, how about setting yourself a goal? There are lots of motivational swims out there. Events are held up and down the country and you can enter, turn up, do the swim and claim your medal. There are even virtual events. But you need to choose your goal carefully. Choose a goal that is manageable, like an event over a period of time. Events are a good way of keeping motivation going. Especially ones with nice medals at the end! We can vouch for that! 🤩
Our latest event is Fearless. This event can be cut up into small chunks and larger chunks and you can go at your own pace. You can do it with friends but also on your own. With a Facebook group to share your journey with others, we know you will create the habit and keep yourself motivated. Your event, your pace!
Have a look at Fearless
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