Motivation: 22 Pro Athlete Tips To Lift Your Motivation And Take Action Today
Attitude makes the difference between good and great.
When you need an edge to hit foot to pavement before the sun rises, to train for your sport like a machine, to push yourself further, harder and with more enthusiasm, find inspiration in these motivational athletes that prove dreams are worth sweating for.
1. Embrace your fighting spirit
"Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do... but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there.” - Venus Williams (professional tennis player)
Be strong, be courageous and above all, believe in yourself. Hold onto the fighting spark inside you – and you’ll be a winner in your own right.
Follow Venus' journey online via her website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube.
2. ‘Impossible’ is only a mindset
“I’ve learned you can always achieve more than you thought you could. There are moments when I’ve walked off the court, and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how I won that match'. It was actually impossible, but it happened, and then you realise that you can push yourself much further than you ever thought, and you can make the impossible happen.” – Venus Williams (professional tennis player)
With self-belief on your side, there is no impossible – only goals you’re yet to achieve.
3. Keep your goal in mind
“Just suck it up and get it done. There are days when it seems impossible to get out the door, but I know that if I want to be successful, there’s only one way to achieve that success, and it’s not easy or pretty and it sometimes absolutely sucks. But you know what doesn’t suck? Achieving big goals, winning world titles, and proving to yourself and others that you can.” – Mirinda “Rinny” Carfrae (professional triathlete and Ironman Triathlon world champion).
Action builds fortitude, so don't be afraid to get dirty. Know you're made of tough stuff and let your goals drive you to be proactive in life.
Some days, you’ll be self-inspired to fly out the door. Other days, motivation will be fleeting, and you’ll consider bailing on your training. Skipping a workout isn’t the end of the world, but it may make you feel emotionally ‘blech’ and dissatisfied that you didn’t give yourself that extra push.
The grit-building process of choosing to get on with it will fuel your future success and build your confidence – validating every drop of sweat lost and every aching muscle earned.
Follow Miranda's journey online via her website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube.
4. Happiness is just around the corner of your next workout
“I use history as my guide. If I’m not feeling up for a run or workout, I remember how I’ve felt after nearly every other run in my life: happy I did it, and almost always better than before I started.” – Will Leer (professional mid-distance runner)
On an off-day, training might be the furthest thing from your mind, but know that exercise will rejuvenate you and elevate your mood. You’ll feel more energised, more creative and higher spirited for getting your body moving, while setting a positive tone for the rest of the day.
Allow the knowledge you’ve earned from the past, guide your choices now and in future.
Follow Will's journey online via his website, Instagram or Twitter.
5. Workout your self-belief and see success in your mind’s eye
“If we all trained our minds as much as we are training our muscles and physical body, I think we would achieve and maximise our potential. We don't know how much we can really achieve until we have this kind of mindset of wanting always to evolve and improve. I believe in the power of the mind and visualisation, which is a big part of my everyday life." - Novak Djokovic (professional tennis player)
Success begins in the mind. You can’t set out to achieve what you can’t visualise – so value your imagination, strive for continuous self-improvement and put your mind to work to build a winning mentality. Your body will follow.
Follow Novak's journey online via his website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
6. The first step is the hardest - don't overthink it
“I know that once I get rolling, I can conquer. But the hardest part is that first stroke or step. So, don’t think about it so much. Just take that first step.” – Andrew Starykowicz (professional long-distance triathlete)
Your first step will ignite your momentum - setting healthy habits in motion and paving the way to your success. You don’t have to hit the ground running – but you do have to replace thought with action.
Follow Andrew's journey online via his website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
7. Move your body – you’ll feel lighter for it
“I could feel my anger dissipating as the miles went by – you can’t run and stay mad!” - Kathrine Switzer (marathon runner and author of Marathon Woman)
Run out your stress, frustration and self-doubt. With every stride, you’ll feel emotionally uplifted as you take control.
Give yourself the opportunity to draw in positivity from your body and the world around you.
Follow Kathrine's journey online via her website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
8. Trick yourself into sweating
It’s not easy to commit 100% to every training session. The secret is you don’t have to…. or at least, lets tell your brain that on the days it really feels impossible!
Self-confidence and self-discipline goes a long way into completing your entire workout every time you lace up. However, a little bit of brain trickery might give you the motivational nudge you need to tackle early-bird workouts and break free from the all-or-nothing mentality.
A shorter or low intensity workout is better than none at all – and once your body is moving and flowing into a rhythm, you’ll find yourself naturally more energised and feeling more capable both mentally and physically.
Follow Noah's journey online via Instagram or Twitter.
9. Break up your training with easy fun runs
“I’ve recently started doing some of my easy runs listening to music or podcasts. Narrative podcasts in particular allow me to concentrate on something besides running. Inevitably, as I become involved in the story I’m hearing, my thoughts drift away from the task at hand. I believe that most days, running requires focus. But every now and then, you need to turn your brain off.” – Noah Droddy (professional marathon runner)
Staying laser-focussed on results can leave you emotionally burnt out.
Although you should remain committed to your goal, it can be beneficial to take a break, unwind and come back to it refreshed – and if you can do that on the run, even better.
10. Beat your inner critic with positivity
“Being your best is not so much about overcoming the barriers other people place in front of you as it is about overcoming the barriers we place in front of ourselves. It has nothing to do with how many times you win or lose. It has no relation to where you finish in a race or whether you break world records. But it does have everything to do with having the vision to dream, the courage to recover from adversity and the determination never to be shifted from your goals." – Kieran Perkins (former competitive swimmer)
Adversity doesn’t have to act as a red light on your training. Let it inspire you to be fearless. Let your recovery prove that with every fall, comes opportunity to grow. Our mindset can be our most challenging obstacle.
Shift your mindset from listening to negative self-talk to talking to yourself with positive, uplifting thoughts to inspire action and break down self-inflicted barriers - "I am determined. I am strong. I can do this".
Stay true to your goals and appreciate that you are not your self-doubt – you are an athlete and dreamer, you are strong and in control, and you have the drive within you to reach for your goals – you just have to unleash it.
11. Bust excuses – all you need is your body and the will to workout
“I’ve trained in world class gyms all over the world. You can get your work done anywhere, the key is just doing it.” – Gwen Jorgensen (professional distance runner and former triathlete)
Got a body and the will to workout?
Motivational distance runner Gwen Jorgensen shows us that’s all you need (and a staircase if you have one handy!) to kick-start your fitness.
There is stacks of exercises that boost your fitness with no or minimal equipment - like jumping jacks to elevate your cardio health and strength, or squats and push ups that use your own body as resistance.
Along with your specific fitness goal, let what you can do for your body daily motivate you. If you have access to a gym, fantastic! But if not, know that constraints can inspire creativity - in life and in your workouts.
Follow Gwen's journey online via her website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
12. Be inspired by obstacles – with adversity, you’ll shine brighter
“It’s human nature to be timid in the face of obstacles, but I have learned to believe that challenges are opportunities for genius to shine. In order to feel alive, we have to accomplish things that we once believed we could not." - Dominique Moceanu (former competitive gymnast and author)
Challenges provide a workout for both mind and body, allowing us to evolve and stretch the limits of our imagination.
Allow every conquered obstacle to inspire you moving forward – to train harder and most importantly, to believe in yourself.
Follow Dominique's journey online via her website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
13. No regrets
“You can always say, ‘I wish I had landed that triple flip better’, or ‘I wish I didn’t fall.’ They’re not regrets, just mistakes.” – Michelle Kwan (former competitive figure skater)
Setbacks can be disappointing – but they are 100% a natural part of the process. There's no way to rewind, so free yourself from the urge to replay mistakes in your mind and don’t beat yourself up over 'what if?'.
Instead, let go.
Accept mistakes you cannot change, be proud of yourself for taking a risk and move forward with the knowledge and experience you’ve earned from trying.
Follow Michelle's journey online via Instagram or Twitter.
14. Take a leap and rise stronger
“Take those chances and you can achieve greatness, whereas if you go conservative, you’ll never know. I truly believe what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Even if you fail, learning and moving on is sometimes the best thing.” - Danica Patrick (former professional racing car driver and author of Pretty Intense)
Nobody wins from the sidelines. Escape your comfort zone, expose yourself to the risk of defeat and accept any downfalls as a learning experience to build you up stronger.
Follow Danica's journey online via her website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
15. Try and try again
“Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” – Matt Biondi (former competitive swimmer)
Failure only exists if we let it. Adversity is overcome by the will and action to try despite setbacks.
Focus on possibility, not on self-doubt.
16. Smile at adversity
"A smile is a curve that can straighten out a lot of problems.” - Ana Ivanovic (former professional tennis player)
A healthy dose of happiness can spark your motivation.The best kind stems from within – from a sense of self-confidence and self-belief.
But even wearing a smile can be contagious and create positivity when it feels like odds are against you – building your enthusiasm to fight on and push forward despite adversity or perhaps, because of it.
Follow Ana's journey online via her website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
17. Love your body and let your passion fuel you
"I'm not the most physical person, not the tallest, not the skinniest. You can't listen to anybody. Just know your dreams. Know how hard you can work. Work hard, have fun doing it, and you can really make it places that you really never thought you would. Dedication, passion and heart gets you where you want to be." - Lindsey Berg (professional volleyball player)
Celebrate you. We are all wonderfully different – don’t let anyone else tell you that you can’t because you’re not tall enough, fast enough or strong enough.
Believe in your goal, believe in the power of hard-work and enjoy the process of chasing your dreams.
Follow Lindsey's journey online via Instagram or Twitter.
18. Join a fitness tribe
"If you want to stay fit, surround yourself with a couple of chicks who are fired up, so that the one day you're not, you can feed off their energy." - Gabrielle Reece (professional volleyball player)
Set yourself up for success by joining a running group, Pilates class or scheduling in weekly workouts with a fitness buddy.
Soaking in your fitness tribe’s good vibes and motivational energy will prevent your training from steering off track and keep you accountable in your own fitness journey.
Follow Gabby's journey online via her website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
19. Find your balance
"Twenty seconds before a race, there’s absolute focus. The key thing is to achieve relaxation, but at the same time to have absolute total control. You’ve got to find the balance between being totally ready to go and being really at peace with yourself as well.” – Cathy Freeman (former competitive sprinter and Co-Founder and Director of the Cathy Freeman Foundation)
When race day rolls around, find peace within yourself and in the moment. Know you have control and power in your body, but accept you cannot control everything - and that's okay.
Channel your anxiety into focus. Untether yourself from fear, trust in your training and let go of self-doubt. Check-in with your body to consciously relax areas of tension, breathing mindfully.
Remember how hard you worked to get here and harness your motivation to add energy and enthusiasm to your movement. Beyond the finish line, know you gave it your all and be proud of yourself for that.
Follow Cathy's journey online via Twitter and the Cathy Freedom Foundation on Facebook.
20. Run hard, recover hard
"I encourage you to keep living hard and running hard, but to carve out time to recover hard, too. Usually, it’s about finding time. It’s the thing we don’t seem to have enough of. It’s tempting to scrap recovery and go fill that space with something fun or more visibly productive, but your body and mind are doing a lot of building when you’re just chilling." - Molly Huddle (professional long-distance runner)
When physical and mental fatigue sets in, motivation can slip away and performance naturally declines. Take responsibility - not only your training, but of your recovery.
Be kind to yourself and your body – in the same way you schedule in training sessions, schedule in recovery sessions and rest days.
After a tough workout, listen to your mind and body’s needs – whether it’s alleviating soreness with compression tights or compression sleeves, relaxing and releasing tension with a foam roller self-massage, taking a rejuvenating post-workout bath, meditating or doing gentle stretches.
And of course, prioritise a good night’s sleep to allow your muscles to repair to prevent your motivation from teetering or your hard work from going to waste.
Follow Molly's journey online via Twitter or Instagram. Read the full article Molly Huddle's Guide to Finding Time for Recovery on Runner's World.
21. Your journey doesn’t end at the finish line or winner’s podium
“Celebrate what you've accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.” – Mia Hamm (former professional soccer player)
A life well-lived is that of continuous self-improvement. Cherish and reward yourself for your accomplishments, but don’t let them stagnate your progress by settling or losing the drive to strive for more.
There’s always room to grow, to improve your self-awareness, conquer mental or physical hurdles and progress in life – as an athlete and human being.
The journey is never-ending and it's the fight that allows us to personally evolve. Stay inspired post-goal, reach further and higher, and never give up on being the best you can be.
Follow Mia's journey online via Facebook or Twitter and learn about the Mia Hamm Foundation.
22. Make your mark on today
“Make the most of every minute, every hour and every day… count your blessings.” – Britanni Nicholl (Australian surfer and Crohn’s & Colitis ambassador)
You live every day once, make the most of it.
Be thankful for your mind, body and health. Practice your sport or craft and see each day as a gift of opportunities.
There will always be hard days, but you can take control in shaping your mindset, to make your own motivation and find the joy in movement.
Follow Britanni's journey online via her website, Facebook or Instagram.