Famous Quote Sums Up Perfectly How Athletes Must View Motivation
There are only two types of motivation. Motivation you get from external sources and motivation you get from yourself. Both in sports and in life, both types of motivation are necessary. However in sports, self-motivation is by far the most effective type of motivation to depend on for success.
History shows that athletes who play the game for the love of the game outperform those who play for fame, approval, and money. A famous quote by author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn explains perfectly why this is the case.
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
Whether your initial spark of energy comes from external motivation or self-motivation, that spark of motivation is still only useful for taking the first few steps. After those first few steps, motivation is not what you need to go the distance. Going the distance in any meaningful endeavor depends on one’s ability to create behavior habits.
Behavior habits form when you totally immerse yourself into an activity. The activity transforms from something you do, to something you are. This transformation can only happen when your motivation innately comes from within. There is no way to fake this out of the desire to get a carrot or avoid a stick. You either want it or you don’t.
Simply stated, this is the only view of motivation that truly matters to athletes. What motivates you to start will never be as important as the fuel you use to keep going. What’s more, that fuel to keep going must come from within not parents, coaches, motivational speakers or anyone else.