Where do you get your motivation?

[RED]

You're on the rollercaoster training method also...? I go through slumps a few times a year. First thing I would recomend is to realise MA is a life style. Look at the big picture. If you have a week/month of no motivation, then start all over. Don't dwell on your slump. You have the rest of your life to train.
I used to set goals wanting the Black belt, but now I simply want to be the best I can be. My motivation come from a couple things. First I teell myself to "do something towards greatness today", everyday. I tell myself to give myself 15 mins. Thats all. NOTHING MORE. But once I do the fifteen minutes It just turns into a half hour which turns into an hour. But really commit to 15 minutes at 100%. I tell myself I'll go lightly at the gym and start out light, but then it usually turns into a great workout. I watch TV often. I tell myself to go through a pattern or two while the TV is on (usually during a commercial break). The next thing I know the Patterns are my focus and not the TV.
Hey we are all human. I give myself a cheat day. Usually Sundays. I drink beer, eat fast food, lay around the house and do NOTHING!
When I was younger I was motivated. Eagle scout, Tae Kwon Do, Habittat for Humanity, blah, blah, blah. As I got older I lost a lot of motivation. After my mother passed away (cancer from smoking) I gave myself these two expressions to life by:
"do something towards greatness today"
"get on with living or get on with dying"

Just my 2¥

good luck

 

[Adept]

Martial arts keeps me looking fit, which keeps the attention of the ladies!

Ah, but seriously, I'm in the same position as you, Indy. Train like a demon for a month, and then before you know it you're back to smoking and wasting time, and generally being a slob.

I haven't really found anything that works for me, because I'm still in the same cycle! I had meant to kick-start myself again this week, but work and illness have made that a non starter. Maybe next week.

Ah well, at least I've set a goal to stop smoking. July 1st.

 

[kidswarrior]

For me it's much like bushidomartialarts. When I got pretty seriously injured a couple of years ago, that caused me to switch to training/learning/growing in the arts through teaching classes instead of taking them. That was the only way I could control the number of over-the-shoulder-throws-by-the-neck and the like done by training partners, who may or may not care what the damage was to their partner (me). Now, there's no choice in whether I'll show up at class--I have to. If I don't, there is no class, and a lot of people who are counting on me are very disappointed. As the old saying goes, I ain't much, but I'm all we've got.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Zombies motivate me...