If you haven't seen the video we posted with Tom de Nolf, make sure to check it out here.
I could go on and on about how lucky we are to have Tom as a member and mentor to so many, but what really stuck out to me were the comments and how many people mentioned Tom's comradely spirit in the gym. He hands it out like the unlimited supply it is and he gets it back in return. Simply put, Tom motivates people.
And you know what? Motivation matters.
But how do we cultivate it and keep it around? (We don't want to force Tom to take his shirt off and go to the games every year...)
It's a great question and it's why I find myself more often studying motivation than exercise techniques. After more than 15 years as a coach, I believe the selection of exercises is important but only secondary compared to our desire to perform them!
Here’s what we know about motivation:
1. Success has to happen before you’ll become motivated.
2. Success has to keep happening.
3. We don’t always recognize success when it happens. We’re pretty hard on ourselves
Good gyms give you access. Great gyms provide success.
That means we should look more often at our own PR’s than the scoreboard. We should track our progress in SugarWOD but we need to take five minutes every week to reflect on the good in our lives.
The practice of thankfulness doesn’t come naturally to anyone. That’s why we call it a practice: It’s hard and we don’t feel like doing it. Then we feel better once we have.
Hail-Fellow-Friday is our new practice of thankfulness.
Every week on Friday (starting November 15th), we’ll post a separate portion to the workout of the day and we want
Each of you to comment for yourself (things that went right, things you've decided to celebrate and little wins from the week)
Then, we want each of you to comment and celebrate someone else’s post
These celebrations won't always be directly workout related, but practicing gratitude and thankfulness is an exercise. The first time, you’ll be reluctant to post your “Bright Spots” from the week. You'll say “I don’t really know some of these people that well. They don’t want to hear about my life” or “I don’t want to share all my personal stuff.”
So all the coaches will go first.
We encourage you to follow with one tiny little thing that you did right or went well this week. Make it workout related to start if that’s easier.
What did you do right or do best or do for the first time this week?
So let's all be more like Tom. Celebrate what you did right, encourage others and start your weekend happy!