09/28/2026
*Mackenzieās September post
This is very helpful!
Thank you Mackenzie!! š
The main thing that helps progress stick is setting clear goals. We have done this. The next most important factor is motivation to keep goingāeven when we do not feel like it. Motivation is this month's post.
Self-Determination has been defined as the ability or power to make decisions for yourself. Within this, I learned about a theory in Grad-School that became the basis of my final manual: Self-Determination Theory (SDT).
SDT is a theory of human motivation and personality that highlights psychological needs and the influence of relationships and social surroundings on human behavior. It suggests that all humans have three psychological and emotional needs:
Knowledge (Competence)
Feeling of Control (Autonomy)
Being Connected (Relatedness)
These needs influence one another, and the extent to which they are satisfied impacts how much someone's behavior is regulated by processes consistent with their sense of self, or self-determination.
The overall theme of this theory is that people participating in something based on choice and/or pleasure will typically last longer and be more successful because their motivation comes from within (intrinsic motivation).
SDT defines three types of motivation:
Amotivation: Lack of motivation
Extrinsic Motivation: Exterior factors motivate you
Intrinsic Motivation: Motivation comes from within
How these needs and types of motivation come together is based on you. Typically, the less intentional or understood something is, the less personal value it has, or the less control you feel you have over the factors or outcome, the less motivated you are. Vice versa, the more personal interest, enjoyment, understanding, and feeling of control you have, the more motivated you are without needing external factors to keep you going.
External factors are typically unreliable or not always positive. For example, you cannot eat ice cream for the whole month because you missed one workout that week.
Knowing your motivators and understanding how your needs and motivations combine can decrease anxiety, decrease the chances of burnout, improve resiliency and recovery (if applicable), and even assist during transitional periods of your life.
Within the attachments, I will have you work through your needs and motivations. You will also apply psychological tools you can use for both external and internal help when you are feeling amotivated.
The first tool is Social Support. Having social support can reduce stress, enhance mood, increase motivation, and improve consistency. It comes in different forms and from different people.
The first form is informational support. This typically comes from doctors, trainers, or others educated within the field of your goals/needs who can provide education and information on how to properly and safely achieve your goals. They should demonstrate patience with your journey and struggles, confidence in their knowledge and ability, maintain privacy, and help you set realistic expectations within your goals.
The other form is emotional support. This is the more commonly known form and can come from friends, family, co-workers, teammates, etc. Either way, you need to be able to trust your support and know that they will support and challenge you in what you need, not in what is easier or more comfortable.
The second tool is Positive Self-Talk. Being able to positively talk to yourself is a highly underrated skill, if you have even considered it a skill in the past. Producing more positive self-talk rather than negative self-talk can increase concentration, improve mental preparation, assist in breaking bad habits, improve confidence, develop new skills, and increase motivation.
All pages provide additional information and resources while also repeating some of the information listed here.
Whether you do these worksheets or not, remember that positive, internal motivation is what will help our progress stick the best!
