Devoted to the Craft: How the Athlete's Mindset is Helping Me Break the Cycle

After years of false starts, I'm learning that mindset, not solely motivation, is what carries you to the finish line.

A couple of days ago, I announced that I'm working on a new project, which was received enthusiastically by friends and family. Naturally, that led to a spike in dopamine and a certain self-satisfaction that as a creative, I am, in fact, on the right track. Whether or not you specifically identify as an artist, the universal feeling of starting something new will almost always leave you feeling high.

You're empowered with the buzzing energy of Motivation. But Motivation tends to leave almost as quickly as it arrives in what science describes as a dopamine dip. Some, with stronger willpower, push through a few more weeks to maintain the illusion of momentum. Others drop the project altogether once Motivation shuts the door. I've taken either route at various points in my life. The insidious thing about this (almost) ingrained repetitive practice is that it keeps me trapped in a loop of starting and stopping. Emotionally, that loop triggers a cycle of shame and hopelessness. Suddenly, the project I was so excited about becomes a heavy fog looming over me that I can't seem to escape.

With this new project (and creative era of my life) I am breaking the cycle. In the wise words of Roger Murtaugh, "I'm getting too old for this shit." The "shit" in question is an unsustainable approach to long-term goals. Part of the reason I admire athletes so much (without being a sports fan) is the way they lock in, train, and keep their eyes on the prize. I don't just admire that, I deeply desire it. Rather than let desire incinerate my insides, I'm on a mission to embody the athlete’s winning mindset. I'm not saying I want to be an athlete, per se, but I'm ready to start thinking like one (in the context of being a creative).

To reiterate: I'm not a sports fan and I'm not athletic. I never even made it past JV tennis tryouts in high school. But I don't believe you need an athletic background to tap into the energy that comes from deep devotion to a craft. My working theory on breaking the chronic stop-and-start cycle is this: identify as a person who, no matter what, is devoted to her craft. Identify with an athlete's mindset. I'm finding that a solid mindset may be the missing piece, for me, at least. Because while Motivation gives you the desire to start, what sustains your soul to continue? I'm observing that mindset begets identity, identity begets aligned actions, and aligned actions begets desired outcomes.

Like Rome, a mindset antithetical to the one you've had for thirty-odd years will not be built in a day. But that's actually the fun part! I now have the opportunity to develop creative routines (or rather, rituals) that are uniquely mine and sustainable enough to withstand the slog of daily mundanity. I've started, trite as it sounds, by listening to speeches, like this compilation from (the flawed) G.O.A.T., Kobe Bryant, to help propel my drive. And while I keep asserting I'm not athletic, I do, however, channel a lot of that "train hard" mentality into my yoga practice. I bookend my day with 20–30 minutes of asanas (w/ Black Yogi Nico Marie) to deepen my mind-muscle connection, focus, and breathing. Despite writing being a very sedentary activity, you wouldn't believe how much energy and emotion course through your body during it! Engaging your body somatically (in my case, through yoga) helps stabilize the nervous system amid those bursts of energy and emotion.

I want to make it perfectly clear that I know I'm describing able-bodied ways of maintaining creative flow. This is simply one of countless ways to cultivate continuous creative energy. If it doesn’t resonate with you, no offense taken. In fact, I'd love to hear other ways people are tapping into their winning mindsets. There’s never just one way of Being.

That said, I'm excited to approach this new writing project with a winning mindset, where the prize is simply completing it, regardless of fleeting motivation.Think I can do it?