Below is an article I wrote for Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness that is included in the August 2010 magazine.
Being a competitive bodybuilder requires that you maintain a significant amount of motivation. Dieting strictly for 20+ weeks, getting up before the crack of dawn to do cardio, dedicating several hours each weekend to food preparation, and training with all-out intensity on a rationed diet is simply not going to happen if your mind isn't dead set on accomplishing your ultimate goal.
There are plenty of ways to motivate yourself on a daily basis – some people like to listen to hard rock music or rap while they train, some like to post pictures of physiques that impress them in their gym lockers, others like to track every workout and seek to break records. But for the experienced competitor, there is one motivator out there that trumps all others. Rarely spoken about, this motivator has at its base a simple human instinct and can potentially push you further than you ever thought possible. What is it? One word: FAILURE.
As humans we seek to succeed in all facets of life, and bodybuilding is no exception. When we do not, two options present themselves. The first is to wallow in the failure, question your ability or desire, and allow it to negatively impact your future endeavors. The other option, and much more positive in the long run, is to use that failure to motivate future success.
The bodybuilding trophies and medals I've collected over the years sit in a lonely corner of my garage. I rarely glance at them. When I do, I never look at the ones that say "1st" or "Overall." The only ones I ever take the time to peruse are the ones with a placing lower than 1. Why? Because they remind me, that on that particular day, I wasn't good enough. Someone else out there was better than me. I think about all of the effort I put forth into that contest, and how it just didn't cut it. What changes can I make this year that will alter that? What do I need to improve so that next year won't result in this same outcome? What training or diet techniques did I try last year, and how can I alter them to get better results this time?
Some may argue that focusing on your failures is not a mentally healthy thing to do. For some people, this may be true. If reminding yourself of the times you have failed leads you into a negative mindset, drains your energy, or makes you question why you are even bothering to trying again, then this type of mental exercise is probably not constructive for you. If, on the other hand, reminiscing on your failure motivates you, induces feelings of pain that you seek to vanquish, and inspires you to push on to the next level, then playing this mind game is right up your alley.
Think about the people who were better than you as you wake up to do cardio. During yet another meal of tuna and broccoli, recall the way it felt when it was your name that was called out too soon. Visualize a competitor's arms, legs, or back while you train; and ask yourself if you are training hard enough to make up the difference that held you back the last time you competed. Sure, your competition has great genetics. Sure, maybe their job or lifestyle allows them to dedicate more time to this hobby of ours. But feeling sorry for yourself about how easy others have it is a poor excuse for a motivator. Focusing on your own shortcomings and your desire to succeed is much more proactive.
I like to apply this type of motivation in other aspects of my life. Being employed in academia, my job is to teach college courses and publish research in my area of focus. When I get negative feedback about a class lecture or exercise, I keep it. When I get a rejection letter from a journal, I keep it. Looking over these failures at regular intervals keeps me motivated to do a better job in the future and to not let the same mistakes happen again.
Sometimes I even use my professional work to motivate my bodybuilding training. After I completed my Ph.D., I had the opportunity to interview for jobs at several very good schools in my field. I knew the likelihood of getting job offers at all of them was slim, so after each interview I picked up a t-shirt at the campus bookstore for that particular school. Sure enough, several of them called to say they were offering the job to another applicant. I wear those t-shirts to train. Every time I put it on, it says to me, "You weren't good enough." Similarly, I like to wear t-shirts from contests I have competed in. I haven't won a WNBF contest since 2006, so I have plenty to choose from that remind me about the other bodybuilders out there who were better than me. Wearing these reminders of my failures is a surefire way to put me in a mindset to really attack the weights.
No one enjoys failure. But it happens to everyone. The truth is that I have yet to taste what I consider to be "success" in the WNBF. I have tried my hand at the WNBF Worlds for 4 consecutive years, but no WNBF Worlds trophy sits in my garage. Three different overall WNBF World champions have attempted to defend their title during that time – and none has accomplished their goal. Even the best of the best fail. The true measure of a competitor, and of a person in general, is how they respond in the face of adversity. Will you hang your head and trudge off into the future with a defeated mindset? Or will you grab hold of your failure, and channel it to inspire your efforts next year?
I know which option I will choose. I hope that you make a similar choice.
