Free Game Friday: 9-Steps for Athletic Motivation

April 8th, 2025 | Lawrence, KS, USA

Welcome back to another Free Game Friday! This week’s topic is getting and staying motivated. On the pathway to attainment, you will encounter setbacks, especially when you have BIG goals. Finding a way to stay motivated through the “peaks and valleys” will help you navigate. This is true in sport and life.

Below is a 9-step method to staying motivated.

1. Set short-term goals that are realistic
2. Let those short-term goals lead you to the attainment of a long-term goal.
3. Set a training and recovery schedule and stick to it (discipline).
4. Make soreness, fatigue, etc. work for you as you work towards your goal.
5. Challenge yourself to push beyond your limits in small increments over long periods of time.
6. Define success on your terms. Whether it be improving in minor areas (i.e., consistent action) or major more noticeable areas (i.e., significant weight loss).
7. Believe in yourself, you can do this!
8. Find a great mentor, coach, friend, or family member and let them help you navigate.
9. Build the courage, strength, and mental fortitude to endure.