Whats your Motivation?

Motivation can come in many forms and it can be different for everyone. It can also change over time and it should because as we age we grow as people and when we hit those initial goals we need to put in place new ones. I know for myself what made me initially want to do Calisthenics has changed from what drives me now.

So here's what drives me, hopefully some of this might resonate with yourself or get you thinking what is my motivation?

To be a good role model for my daughter

I didn't want to be one of those dads that struggles to play with his kids, I wanted to be able to run around in the park kicking a ball, doing cart wheels, playing tag etc.

The biggest thing here though was I wanted to show my daughter that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to. Here I was at the age of 35 attempting to teach myself how to defy gravity for most people that's probably not part of the script at that age but for me that wasn't a barrier it was a motivation to get it done.

To be fit and healthy

This doesn't really need too much explanation I would hope. Being fit and healthy shouldn't just be a prerogative for a few, it should be for everyone. Not everybody needs to be an athlete but everybody should do some form of exercise and eat well. Unfortunately we know thats not the case in our modern day society, I didn't want to fall into the trap of rampant consumerism and become blinded to the things that are really important and what should always be high on that list is being fit and healthy.

To be able to do amazing things

When I started Calisthenics I had very distinct goals. I wanted to be able to do a Muscle-Up, Human Flag and Levers. I got these within my first year, after lots of trying, research and dogged determination.  I didn't want to become an old man and look back thinking about what I should have done. So that desire to do amazing things coupled with the fear of letting it slip by drove me and It still drives me now it's just the goals that change and seemingly never end 😉

To look good

So even though my training and what I talk to people about is more about what you can do with your body rather than the way it looks. Like anybody I still take pride in my appearance and have that desire to look good. This isn't a bad thing at all, it's a good thing to take pride in oneself. Pride in oneself will spill over into the rest of your life as well.

Embrace it.

To keep myself sane

So I think there is a lot to be said for fitness, physical health and how that ties into our mental health. Sure it's not the be all and end all for Mental Health, but to put it simply exercising releases endorphins which makes us feel good and feeling good is well it's ....good.

I know for me this is particularly relevant, moving, being strong and mobile it makes me happy. It's not that I suffer from any form of anxiety but I am probably addicted to exercising to feel good. It's an addiction I am happy to own.

ps. if you do happen to suffer from anxiety I would highly recommend checking out Emma (Relatable Miss Renton's blog) as somebody who deals with anxiety she has some great common sense advice which can be accessed by clicking HERE

To be a better coach

So this is a new motivation, it's certainly not what I thought about when I started. Initially it was all about the above reasons. After I started to make progress with Calisthenics though, I wanted to share it with friends.  Whether they were friends I had before I started down this path or whether they were new friends that I met on the way it felt good to be part of a community.

I had always prided myself on being a helpful person and this was a way that made me feel good about myself and what I was doing. Nowadays I get paid to do what I love, how awesome is that?

Admittedly sometimes the early mornings during Winter don't feel necessarily feel awesome all of the time and I don't earn as much as I do when I had my desk bound Resources job but everything has it's upsides and downsides.

So these are the things that drive me to get out of bed in the morning, to constantly push my boundaries. So now I want to know .....

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Thanks

Jason
Calisthenics Coach