First of all, happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans. Although the recent months have been filled with tribulations, obstacles, and divisiveness, I hope and pray that you use this time to come together as family, friends, teammates, and coworkers with a vision of renewal and hope.

Journal Prompt: How have your motives changed over the years, or have they remained basically the same?

My journey through sport was full of ups and downs. For the majority of the time, I played hockey and lacrosse for the sheer joy of the sport. Although there were times when I found myself to be an ego-driven athlete and I was forced to make drastic changes to get back to the intrinsic joys of the sport.

When I look back I can see the different motives and how they influenced my performances. This week’s journal prompt is all about taking the time to do your own reflection. Look at your motivations over the years, whether they changed or not, and assess how those motivations have influenced your performance. When you found yourself falling into a perfectionist mindset did you tend to play more rigid and tight? When you were motivated by the joy of sport were you more relaxed and find yourself in flow states more often?

Take the time over the next week to either look back as a whole or reflect by years or time periods. Compare middle school to high school and high school to collegiate performances. If you are a business professional then compare when you started out to where you are now. Just observe and contrast how your motivations influence your overall performances.

After you finish your assessments, find which motivations worked best for you and assess where your motivations currently are. Do they need to change? Are you performing optimally with the help of your current motivations?

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I hope you enjoyed this Journal Prompt Monday and I hope you are benefiting from these weekly posts. Feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly to let me know how they have helped you.

Dr. Ty