7 Power Questions to Discover Your Inner Drive!!

"Love your sport. Never do it to please someone else; it has to be yours. That is all that will justify the hard work. Compete against yourself, not others, for that is who is truly your best competition." - Peggy Fleming

As Valentine's day comes and goes for another year, what better time to dive deep into the passion, desire, and the 'why' that sits at the core of drives the best athletes to take action on developing their skill set every day.

Whether you've heard it from a coach, a parent, or an inspirational YouTube video, knowing your 'why' in sports seems to be an important thing right? For many athletes, it seems an easy thing to talk about when things are going right... But what happens when things aren't going so smoothly?

What about if you're injured and have months of rehab and recovery to do? What about when the coach berates you on the sidelines and you feel undervalued as an athlete or as part of a team? And what about when you put everything into the next big opportunity and you fail? That motivation starts to take a hit, the negative thoughts and self-doubt start to creep in and that early workout the next day isn't as appealing as it once was.

The fact is, as an athlete, you won't always have a 24/7/365 love for your sport. And this is because development and growth is an uncomfortable process. And so it should be. When you move up a level, the opponents may be bigger, stronger, and faster. The pace of the game might be quicker. And maybe your current skill set is less effective.?

As a human species in general, we are creatures of habit. We don't necessarily like change. We like our comfort zone. So, the growth process is uncomfortable and will be until we make the adjustments over time to meet the standards of the next level.

So, during the growth process,? the discomfort, or times of failure and setbacks... When we question if all the reps, all the dedicated time, and all the hard work is really worth it - is when we really need to evaluate our 'why'.

"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." - Friedrich Nietzsche

What is a 'Why'?

A 'Why' is having a clearly defined reason for doing what you do. It is the purpose, cause, and belief that drives you. It's what keeps you going when the times get tough. Your 'Why' is at the core of your motivation, determination, discipline, and direction. It is powerful, holds deep and special meaning, and is intrinsically attached.

The Benefits of having a Strong 'Why'

When you know your 'Why'...

• Your love, passion, and desire for your sport burn brightly from within.
• You are consistently self-motivated.
• Your mentality around time changes from sacrifice to investment.
• You take full responsibility for everything you and your training.
• You can discipline yourself to commit to what is necessary for your own development.

"Motivation is an inner force that compels behaviour.? Your inner drive will propel you further than any external perks." - Denis Waitley

So how does one go about developing a strong WHY?

To really know what sits at the deep core of your motivation, it is important to start at the end and work backward. The end is your ultimate goal and I encourage you to dream big!! You can ask yourself - what is the purpose of this goal??

Once you have an answer, ask yourself - what is the purpose of that? and what is the purpose of that? and so on until you get to the core of what drives you to succeed.

To help you discover why I've included another 7 Power Questions that will help you get to the core of why you do what you do. Set some time aside to answer each question with as much detail as possible to get clear on your inner drive.

1. If there was nothing stopping me from achieving anything I desire in this sport, what could I achieve?
2. Why did I first choose to partake in this sport in the first place?
3. What do I remember about the first time I ever competed in my sport? What did I see, hear and feel? (Get specific).
4. What do I remember from my very best or great performance in my sport? What did I hear, see, and feel? (Get Specific).
5. What brings me the most joy in this sport?
6. Who is my role model / inspires me?
7. What is the next action I will take? And how can I prepare to ensure I get it done?

"When you know your why, you'll know your way." - Michael Hyatt

When you are clear on your 'Why' you become clear on the direction and the process. When you are clear on the process, every step you take has intention, meaning, and purpose. Remember, you are working towards something much bigger than Today.

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