Motivation

[needle]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

What motivates me to go fence is---that I get to fence!

I need to pinch myself - there's something that Inq and I actually agree on ... will the wonders ever cease?

[Ordway]

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

Delia, I think you missed one. Add it if you like.

11. Because I'm really frickin good at fencing.

She also forgot:

12. Because I am a wonderful role model and encouragement for other fencers.

(Delia, I was positively delighted that, when we were warming up together at Nationals, I was actually able to do competent actions against you, and not feel doomed every time you attacked! I went and told my coach how happy I was, hehe.)

[Ordway]

What motivates me?

What motivates me to *go to fencing* is that I love fencing. I mean, I just really love it - whether it's practice or tournaments.

But I also work hard at it - focusing in lessons, doing drills, practicing actions at home - including things that aren't necessarily particuarly interesting the way bouting is.

What motivates me there is the joy of improvement - of feeling that I, through willpower and focus, can improve myself and do something better. The payoff of hard work is understanding better what I'm doing, and getting to experience that "aha" moment when things click. The experience of focusing, itself, is a good activity.

There's also the motivation of being an athlete - for someone who was a couch potato until college and who really had serious self-esteem/body image issues into her twenties, it is a very big thing to feel fit and attractive and active as a fencer.

Seeing progress is itself a motivator, and so is the awareness of having the potential to do better. Progress happens mentally and emotionally as well as physically and tactically.

There are also external motivators, like winning or getting praise from my coach (the latter being much harder to achieve, hehe). But while those are nice, they're not what keep me focused and motivated.

[D'Artag-NOT]

Originally Posted by Peach

It could be worse--they could be lawyers. I used to work for lawyers. I guess I would have had to learn boxing if I were still doing that.

Ah, Peach--to learn true hostility, work for a doctor sometimes.

The usual reason for my lacking motivation is that my fencing practice comes at the end of my day's work--and, on Fridays, at the end of my week's work. Sometimes it's very tempting to just go home and park on the sofa. The things that help me overcome the temptation are my affection for my coach and clubmates, and the knowledge that I always feel better after I've fenced.

[Peach]

Originally Posted by D'Artag-NOT

Ah, Peach--to learn true hostility, work for a doctor sometimes.

Hee hee hee - Even I couldn't go that far. I know what they are like.

[RITFencing]

Originally Posted by Ordway

What motivates me?

What motivates me to *go to fencing* is that I love fencing. I mean, I just really love it - whether it's practice or tournaments.

But I also work hard at it - focusing in lessons, doing drills, practicing actions at home - including things that aren't necessarily particuarly interesting the way bouting is.

What motivates me there is the joy of improvement - of feeling that I, through willpower and focus, can improve myself and do something better. The payoff of hard work is understanding better what I'm doing, and getting to experience that "aha" moment when things click. The experience of focusing, itself, is a good activity.

There's also the motivation of being an athlete - for someone who was a couch potato until college and who really had serious self-esteem/body image issues into her twenties, it is a very big thing to feel fit and attractive and active as a fencer.

Seeing progress is itself a motivator, and so is the awareness of having the potential to do better. Progress happens mentally and emotionally as well as physically and tactically.

There are also external motivators, like winning or getting praise from my coach (the latter being much harder to achieve, hehe). But while those are nice, they're not what keep me focused and motivated.

This is the kind of response I was looking for. Everyone loves to show up to practice and just bout, or go to competitions. What I'm looking for is what motivates people to push extra hard in conditioning, or do one more set in a weight room, or get up at 5 AM because they have to drive to a tournament, or just work a boring drill because their parry 4 needs improvement. Something not necessarily pleasant by nature.