For those who admit that they are lacking in the motivation department, it may be time to shake things up. Trying out some new strategies can reboot your enthusiasm and give you a new outlook. Here are some ideas:
Vary your training: Even the most inspired can suffer from training boredom. Perhaps some mock competitions are in order; setting up competitions of a different sort (who can make the most improvements in horse turnout, for example) can inspire attention where some neglect has set in. This sort of shake-up can also be fun, something which we all know is linked to pleasure and thus to motivation.
Find the right people: Both in and out of the barn, be particular about who you spend time with. Surround yourself with people who want to accomplish great things and like to see the same quality in others. These are the people who will encourage and celebrate your successes. We all need a support system in order to really excel, but if you have a hard time finding such positive people, don’t complain. This will just drag your energy further down. Instead, start a revolution of sorts by asking yourself how you can become that kind of person and inspire others to do the same.
Remember to dream: Dreaming is a very essential part of motivation. We all need to visit our visions of what we most want or desire on a regular basis. One way to do this is to create a vision board in the form of a collage: go through magazines and cut out words and pictures that attract you. Then put it all together to form a vision of what you want to achieve one year or five years (or more) from now. Put it in a place you can check in with it and be inspired.
Focus on the carrot: What are you working for this winter? Maybe you want extra power behind your position so that you can use your body more effectively on your horse and have more stamina during show season. While that thought is appealing, the reality of riding without stirrups and doing Pilates all winter isn’t. So grab a visual of yourself having attained that goal and all it will bring to your riding. Visualize that new you while you are slogging through the hard work. Connect the process to the rewards.
Add virtual reps: Studies reveal that muscle activity and brain processes of ‘imaging’ athletes have a direct correlation to the actual physical event being imagined. If you imagine yourself doing a dressage element or jumping, the same areas of your brain and muscle activity are mobilized. So go ahead and double down on your training by adding virtual reps. For every successful moment you have in real time, take a moment to re-experience and strengthen that event in your mind. Just executed a great ride to that big oxer out of a tight corner? Awesome, now visualize it two or three times to reinforce that neural pathway. Learning to really savour those good training moments is also a sure-fire way to keep your internal fire burning.
