The coronavirus pandemic has rapidly transformed education. Now that the reality of being away from peers for sustained periods of time is setting in, the isolation that comes with social distancing is dramatically reducing students motivation. Professors, meanwhile, face a different set of challenges, chiefly figuring out ways to keep students motivated. The reality is that students did not sign up for online learning and no matter how hard a professor tries, they will not be able to motivate all students.

Fear that students will completely disengage and/or drop out of college altogether is strong. Educators do know, however, that they need to be resilient and to continue engaging students no matter how effective their efforts are.

For students, maintaining a schedule and a workspace are crucial, but the unknown horizon of when universities will reopen makes all of this more difficult. Students who are used to working in various environments (the library, their department, cafs around town) are now spending full days in their parents homes. Adjusting to getting work done in my bedroom has been difficult, says Solenne Smith, a junior in American Universitys College of Arts and Sciences, now working from Branford, Connecticut, who usually finishes assignments from coffee shops on campus. In these busy spaces where students congregate on their laptops, there is a camaraderie that many are now trying to re-create in virtual study groups.

Faculty realize that to keep pupils focused, they must take a more active role. This requires more frequent contacts with students, multiple e-mailing, and, for the first time, I have allowed students to call me at home, says Steven Taylor, an associate professor in the Department of Government at American Universitys School of Public Affairs. He urges students to refrain from taking study breaks, like binge-watching videos and shows, as these tend to add further distractions. I do not attach much importance to taking breaks from working. Breaks become habitual and can lead to a lack of focus, Taylor says.

Educators appreciate these new challenges, which is especially assuring to students struggling to meet deadlines. Nobody expects us to be on top of our game right now, says one sophomore at George Washington University. To that end, many universities are providing the option to take classes pass/fail. American, like many other universities such as George Washington and Johns Hopkins, has loosened the rules around pass/fail, which takes pressure off students. But it might also make it harder to stay motivated. It makes me not want to do anything because if I get a C or an A, I still pass, so why put in extra work, says Emily Lynch, a junior at American Universitys School of Communication.

Overall, the onset of the pandemic has made some college students more appreciative of the time they have spent on campus. Op-eds published in The Eagle, American Universitys student newspaper, have expressed gratitude for students time on campus. The sophomore at GWU agrees: I dont know that motivation will increase but rather we will be grateful for the things we had before the pandemic.

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Indeed, the prospect of returning to campus is a motivating factor in and of itself. It will make me appreciate the college experience and remind me to make the most out of the semesters I have left, says Advika Rajapakse, a junior at Johns Hopkins University.

George Washington Universitys Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides virtual walk-ins for students in need of mental-health support. They continue to hold regular business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Virtual walk-ins are like regular meetings with a therapist except they are done through programs like Skype. JHU also provides online mental-health support for students. JHU goes a step further than GW in that they also provide phone numbers to call for counseling services. While neither university has an infinite capacity for how many student cases they can handle, each approach is innovative and best addresses the needs of as many students as possible.

American Universitys webpage reads, It is not uncommon to feel sad, isolated, stressed, or anxious during this time. While this has been a time of significant change including, but not limited to, disruption to academic and social routines, we remain committed to supporting our students, staff, and faculty through our virtual services and resources. Additionally, we recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted certain communities, with an increase in xenophobia, racial aggression, economic deprivation, stigma, and barriers to appropriate resources. American Universitys commitment to supporting students was made clear in the fact that they list and recognize the potential problems.

GW also expressed concerns regarding xenophobia and racial aggression in its campus response: We know that the COVID-19 originated from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and as a result, members of the GW community from China may be experiencing increased stress at this time. Students, faculty, and staff who are from China or of Chinese descent or others from a diverse background are valued members of our community.

In a letter to students and faculty, JHU President Ronald J. Daniels wrote, I have been deeply moved by the resiliency, determination, and almost fathomless reserves of grace with which Johns Hopkinseach of youis showing up, forging ahead, and getting through this historic moment as one community.

Daniels has taken the most optimistic approach to motivating students by singing the praises of the JHU community. GWs and Americans statements are objective, fact-based, and offering of support.

What has kept me motivated through the coronavirus pandemic is keeping a structured routine. I build into that schedule things beyond the virtual classroom that keep me energized: listening to the music of Lon, a Swedish indie-pop/soul singer; regular exercise; moving around and relocating from one workspace to another. Even for a workaholic like me, its easy to lose concentration. At the end of the day, the most distracting thing is the uncertainty about the fall semester. We are nearing the end of this period, which we coped with because it was temporary, but the prospect of a more permanent transformation of college education is frightening. The challenge going forward is staying motivated when you dont know what college life will be like.

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Staying Motivated When Schools Online - The American Prospect

(Just kidding, that sh*ts impossible right now) Pxhere | Photo courtesy Me, sleeping peacefully, through two noon deadlines.

Its a quiet Wednesday night. By Friday, I have a paper, two projects, an exam and probably an existential crisis to get done. There are currently about 64 projects I have started in my apartment and not finished and Im currently contemplating buying a third laundry hamper rather than doing a single load of laundry.

At this exact moment, there are about 200 different productive things I could be doing, but I currently only have the mental capacity to mentally order which establishments have the best quality Sprite (personally, I think McDonalds Sprite is the crispiest, and if you dont know what I mean we cant be friends anymore).

Finding enough motivation to just leave my room is hard enough, let alone finishing all the toughest assignments that seem to come near semesters-end. True story: I picked a pillow up off the floor and put it on my bed yesterday and rewarded myself with a two-hour nap. So the chances of me finishing that project on survey analysis? About the same as the likelihood that Emma Watson finally answers my DMs on Instagram (shes busy alright, it could still happen).

I know Im not the only one struggling here. Ive seen fellow students up until four in the morning doing homework when the will to get something accomplished finally graces them. A personal favorite is the daily videos an NDSU student posts on Snapchat of them screaming into a pillow while doing biology.

If students are struggling, Id have to imagine professors are struggling too. The only thing worse than writing an essay on the American dream riddled with ramblings reminiscent of a sleep-deprived toddler is reading thirty essays on the American dream riddled with ramblings reminiscent of a sleep-deprived toddler. I feel for you, Rooth.

Students and teachers alike have it rough right now. So the best thing anybody can do is be understanding.

A big shout-out to all the students assisting one another, helping with homework questions and being patient when your friend who promised to send you their lecture notes (me, probably) and is sending them over a few days late. And a bigger-shout out to the professors who recognize that this semester should not be about grades.

NDSU extending the pass-fail deadline is awesome. An institution that recognizes that just passing a class in the midst of a nationwide shutdown is accomplishment enough is surprisingly refreshing. Add to that, professors who have eased up on the workload for the rest of the semester and I might just find religion through all of this, because angels are real.

On the other hand, to the professors who are requiring the same level of excellence from students trying to piece together your twenty part assignment from that one corner of their garage that has Wifi, not to ruin my argument with the colloquial or anything, but could you please chill out? People have more important things to worry about, like a literal global emergency, than your proud title of professionally indifferent jerk.

I understand that years of poor student reviews and that 1 out of 5 on Rate-My-Professor is really getting to you, but many students are going through worse than a personal crisis of character, and a little understanding at this time is all that is needed.

However, that same level of understanding needs to be given not only to others but to ourselves too. While I dont personally recommend fully succumbing to the dark side of laziness; lush with its riches of wearing the same outfit for an entire week, eating handfuls of dry cereal and watching hours of Tiktoks via Facebook because you hate yourself, there are some things to be said for taking things one step at a time.

This whole lockdown started with people, in a haze of their capitalist and entitled upbringing, insisting that all this free time was the perfect opportunity to start a business, learn a new skill, or finally write that book (catch my book out this summer, Realizing No Amount of Time Will Make You the Next Hemingway: A Series of Personal Essays).

Instead, most people realized that being without friends, structure and reliable access to toilet paper isnt conducive to changing your life. It turns out that dream of being a hermit we used to have as middle schoolers in the age of Tumblr, not going to school or work, avoiding people at all costs and having 24-hour access to Rick and Morty is only a dream if your goal is to have B.O. and vitamin C deficiency, not if you want any semblance of happiness.

Theres not a lot of advice I can give on this topic. This isnt one of those one-size-fits-all formulas to stay motivated that are floating around the internet right now. Staying motivated isnt concern number one, personally, its like concern number 43, right in between planning my imaginary Tokyo Disney vacation and wondering if they sell any grilled cheese costumes small enough to fit my cat.

Students: all I can say is that Im here for you in spirit. May the will to get something done come at least once a week and may it be long enough to get you through that one assignment thats worth 30 percent of your grade.

Professors: have pity on us students. Some of us are stronger than others, but some of us are pathetic, shame gremlins that struggle to come out of our Pringles and Dr. Pepper stupor without constant social interaction. Please be gentle with us.

With any luck, well get through this together, not as new and better people, but as worn and sorrowful comrades that have been through something horribly embarrassing that we wont ever want to talk about again. And hey, if you didnt drink a bottle of bleach, start the hashtag #NorthDakotaSmart about ending a lockdown, or protest your right to go get your beard professionally trimmed. In the grand scheme of things, youre not doing so bad, right?

See the rest here:
How to get motivated - NDSU The Spectrum

This article was originally published here

Association between work schedules and motivation for lifestyle change in workers with overweight or obesity: a cross-sectional study in Japan.

BMJ Open. 2020 Apr 30;10(4):e033000

Authors: Tanikawa Y, Kimachi M, Ishikawa M, Hisada T, Fukuhara S, Yamamoto Y

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between work schedules and motivation for behavioural change of lifestyle, based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) in workers with overweight or obesity. DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: A healthcare examination centre in Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Between April 2014 and March 2016, we recruited 9243 participants who underwent healthcare examination and met the inclusion criteria, namely, age 20-65 years, body mass index (BMI) 25 kg/m2 and full-time workers. EXPOSURE: Night and shift (night/shift) workers were compared with daytime workers in terms of motivation for behavioural change. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was action and maintenance stages of change (SOC) for lifestyle in TTM. In a subgroup analysis, we investigated interactions between characteristics, including age, sex, BMI, current smoking, alcohol habits, hours of sleep and working hours. RESULTS: Overall, 1390 participants (15.0%) were night/shift workers; night/shift workers were younger (median age (IQR): 46 (40-54) vs 43 (37-52) years) and the proportion of men was lesser (75.4 vs 60.9%) compared with daytime workers. The numbers of daytime and night/shift workers in the action and maintenance SOC were 2113 (26.9%) and 309 (22.2%), respectively. Compared with daytime workers, night/shift workers were less likely to demonstrate action and maintenance SOC (adjusted OR (AOR): 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.98). In a subgroup analysis that included only those with long working hours (10 hours/day), results revealed a strong inverse association between night/shift work and action and maintenance SOC (AOR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.86). A significant interaction was observed between long working hours and night/shift work (P for interaction=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In workers with overweight or obesity, a night/shift work schedule was associated with a lower motivation for behavioural change in lifestyle, and the association was strengthened in those with long working hours.

PMID: 32354776 [PubMed in process]

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Association between work schedules and motivation for lifestyle change in workers with overweight or obesity: a cross-sectional study in Japan. -...

BY CASEY MANN

News + Record Staff

In March, when a state stay-at-home order forced educators to began teaching students remotely, Chatham Central teacher Laurie Paige started Paige Academy at her home.

Paige, a 20-year veteran history teacher of who last year was honored as Chatham Countys Teacher of the Year, established a plan and a routine for her family ringing a bell first thing in the morning to signal to her two children, 3rd and 9th graders, the school day was beginning. During mornings, she focuses on helping her younger child complete his school material by lunch, so she could focus on her high school students in the afternoon all the while keeping a close eye on her 9th graders progress in his four classes.

That lasted two weeks, Paige said. Then it just became survival of the fittest at that point. It just wasnt realistic.

Teachers across the state have been working from home, educating students from a distance since N.C. Gov. Roy Coopers order to close schools because of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

Two Chatham County teachers shared their experiences with the News + Record Paige and Olivia Metcalf, who is in her second year teaching at Margaret Pollard Middle School. How they are spending their days now demonstrate just some of the ways teachers in Chatham County are working to not only continue educating their students, but also provide the social and emotional support their students and parents need right now.

To read the perspective of fourth grade teacher Susan Loflin of Bennett School, click here.

Metcalf has been teaching her students remotely from the Wake County home she shares with her French bulldog, Luna. Metcalf is a self-proclaimed early morning person. Each school day, she wakes up early to check email and figure out plans for the day. She creates a checklist of meetings, which include online classes and required school staff meetings, and reviews the tracking of communications with her students.

I keep track of the kids Ive talked to, Metcalf said. And I work to connect with kids who may have challenges in communicating.

Metcalf said that she works about the same amount of time teaching as when she was in the classroom, but she spends a lot more time on planning. She provides work for students two weeks in advance and schedules check-ins with students and provides question and answer periods for them.

On the other hand, Paige has discovered that she has had to adapt her work time to be available to her high school students. She originally set up office hours from 10 to 11 a.m., but found her students were not always available at that time.

That was very unrealistic, Paige said. A lot of students are working a lot of hours [at jobs] during the day. The kids who work at Food Lion are working almost full-time. A lot of my students are working and working excessively.

As a result, she has been receiving a lot of late-night emails and messages from her students. She said that some days she doesnt even turn off her computer until 1 a.m.

Most are doing their school work at night, she said. So Ive readjusted my schedule to be available later in the day. If a student asks a question, I want to be able to answer it. Weve had to adjust our time-frames to be more flexible to our students needs.

Keeping in touch

For these teachers, their biggest priorities are communicating with their students and parents.

Paige starts each day sending a Remind, a phone application for school communication, to her students alerting them to what assignments they need to be working on. She ends each day with another message recapping what they should have gotten done or accomplished for the day.

She records her lessons for each chapter for the students to use followed by assignments to ensure they have mastered the material. For each one of her four classes, she schedules at least one virtual class on Zoom, a video conferencing tool. Since many of her students are working during the day, she will sometimes hold those Zooms in the evening when her students are available.

Most of my day is spent trying to keep up with my students and communicating with parents, Paige said. [If I saw my students everyday in the classroom] they would been in tune and keeping up with work. Now if they dont show to a zoom or turn in assignments, I know I need to reach out. Something has happened, something is different. Im constantly working, letting the kids know Im there for them and support them.

Metcalf estimates that about 15 percent of her students dont have access to internet service. For those students, she created paper versions of her lessons. She said its the same content, but maybe not as engaging as online. Even with the digital gap, Metcalf noted that those students are still finding ways to be able to communicate with her, whether by email or by phone.

Im in constant communication with kids and parents, she said. Its very hard to go from seeing your students five days a week to now. They are missing the social aspect, they dont get to socialize with classmates. Theyre having a hard time at home. Its different, odd and feels weird. I miss seeing them so when I get to see them on Zoom or talk on the phone, its so nice to have that. Being able to communicate, using personalized communication, thats really valuable to me.

Challenges

For Paige, the biggest challenge is keeping her students motivated, especially her seniors. Schools were originally informed that students who were seniors would be graded using a pass/fail model, meaning that if they had passing grades as of March 13, they would pass their classes. If they were failing as of that date, they would be able to pull up their grades during virtual learning to receive a passing grade. Though the state provided updated guidance last Friday that students could have the option to use number grades instead of pass/fail, up until now, keeping those students engaged has been an uphill battle.

My biggest challenge is keeping the students motivated to do the work, Paige said. Giving them reasons to continue, especially the seniors. I just keep encouraging them to work for the AP exam. Its really, really hard.

Im feeling a lot of pressure, Metcalf said. These kids are going into high school next year and I want them to be prepared and successful for their future. Going from teaching in a classroom to teaching behind a screen is really difficult.

Metcalf said that at this point in the year, her students would typically be working on end-of-year projects and presentations. As a result, shes has had to adjust what shes teaching. She said shes fortunate to have a fellow Social Studies teacher, 20-plus year teaching veteran Dawn Streets, to collaborate with to find new ways to support her students education. She also thinks that as a new teacher, she may be better suited to adjust.

I think being kinda new to this, I like to do things in new different and creative ways, Metcalf said. I get to experiment, using digital tools, while trying to bring same energy to motivate my students. Its a learning process for me, but its nice because the kids are learning too. No matter what level of experience, were all learning too.

Resilience

Though in unchartered and challenging waters, both teachers expressed an unwavering support for their students and parents.

Never in my 20 years have I worked as hard and as many hours as I have in the past month., Paige said. Before everything was done hands-on and is now being done virtually. Its like building a plane as were flying it.

I feel like teachers really are working harder than probably ever have for their students, she continued. Its easy to think, Oh theyre just sitting at home, but I know from my colleagues and the teachers of my children how much work they are doing and the dedication and support is amazing. Educators across the country are all coming up with innovative ideas for their students, not just in providing educational support, but social and emotional support.

I know its hard for parents who are used to dropping off their kids, Metcalf said. Who now have to help their children to navigate this new way of learning. Im always someone you can talk to whether you need help or just want to talk to someone outside your home.

A parent called me yesterday, thanking me for instilling such a good work ethic in my child, Metcalf continued. Knowing were appreciated goes such a long way.

Everybody is trying to do everything they can to meet the needs of the students, Paige said. Many are sad, they are at home, they cant do all the things they want to do. Its a lot of change for young people.

I have seen that students are resilient and accepting of change, Paige said. As much of a disruption that it is for me, the students have adapted. Our students really can overcome more than I thought and more than they thought. If you had told me before Im not sure I would have believed it, but the kids are doing it. I believe they are learning, mastering the material, just in a very different way than I would have anticipated.

Casey Mann can be reached at CaseyMann@Chathamnr.com.

Read more here:
For Chatham's educators, student communication and motivation are just the start of daily challenges - The Chatham News + Record

Friday May1,2020at7:01AM

An article in a recent edition of the Repository quoted a Walmart employee as saying, I didnt sign up to be a hero. I dont begrudge anyone on how they react to this crisis. If you are scared, quit your job, stay home, or get another job. I am good with that.

But as for me, I served many years in my beloved Marine Corps. In 1991 I served as a dumb grunt in the corps during Desert Storm. I served because my country needed me. I served because I felt like I had something to offer.

In 2020 I am serving as a dumb grunt at Walmart during the pandemic. I am serving because my community needs me. I am serving because I think I have something to offer.

MIKE RIES, MASSILLON

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Letter to the editor: Motivation to serve now not different than before: My country needs me - Canton Repository

Amir Khan has admitted it would take a fight against either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Manny Pacquiao tomotivate himto make a ring return.

The former light-welterweight world champion has had 39 bouts in aprofessional career which began in 2005,the last of them being a stoppage win over Billy Dib in July 2019.

While he has faced pound-for-pound candidatesSaul Alvarez and Terence Crawford in recent years, Khan has made no secret of his desire to go up against both Mayweather and Pacquiao before retiring, two legendarynames he has chased in thepast withoutsuccess.

At 33, he has still not given up hope of securing a deal to take on one of the duo, though they are seemingly the only opponentsthat could lead to him heading back into the gym.

"I've almost had 40 fights now, so I'm just going to take my time and see what options are out there for me," Khan told Sky Sports.

"If the Pacquiao option is there, 100 per cent that is the motivation for me to go back in the gym and train hard.

"It's very hard to have those fights now that motivate you. I'm in a very good position where I've won the world titles and financially I'm good.

"What's left out there for me? The only thing, for me, is a big fight like a Mayweather or a Manny Pacquiao.

"Who knows [if such fights will happen]? That's up to them."

Khan's comments appear to rule out a long-rumoured showdown with Kell Brook, who said himself in April that he had "given that angle up" and moved on.

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Khan only motivated to fight again if he faces Mayweather or Pacquiao - Yahoo Sports

Maxi Kleber is stuck in his home just like you. Its clear he must be bored because he agreed to come on The Athletics Mavericks podcast earlier this week, hosted by me and Dave DuFour and produced by Sasha Ashall. If you dont subscribe, its called 77 Minutes in Heaven and can be found free anywhere you listen to podcasts. We will be publishing that podcast with Kleber on Sunday, which goes for about 40 minutes and ranges from stories about Germany, discussion about his quarantine, how he ended up playing basketball and to his many doubts that hed reach the NBA following two major injuries which caused him to miss two separate seasons as well as meeting Dirk Nowitzki for the first time. Its all in there!

To gently plug that episode, we wanted to share a brief transcript of Klebers adjustments to being a stay-at-home basketball player with limited access to proper weightlifting equipment and basketball gyms, as well as his...

Go here to see the original:
Books, Netflix and a guitar: Maxi Kleber talks about motivation, pastimes & more - The Athletic

They can sometimes veer into cheesy territory, but most of the time, theres nothing like a handful of positive quotes to offer motivation and inspiration, especially when youre trapped at home or feeling isolated or demotivated because of the coronavirus crisis. Whether you share positive quotes in a text, as a social media post caption, or as a spoken mantra, these uplifting, motivating words and sayings are sure to bring good vibes to any situation.

Just like love quotes can put your affections into words better than you may be able to on your own, positive quotes can share the encouragement youre looking forwhether for yourself or someone elsequickly and cleverly. Like New Year quotes or fitness motivation, theyre all about boosting confidence and increasing good energy. No matter what challenge you or your friend is facing, a few uplifting words can make that trial feel less insurmountable and more accomplishable. The positive quote that speaks to you the most can even become a mantra, something you repeat to yourself day after day to keep your spirits up even when life gets tough. (Depression and anxiety quotes can also help with spirit-lifting when needed.)

Positive quotes can be long or short, depending on your need and platform. (Short letterboard quotes are easier to set up, but long ones can be more satisfyingand theres no wrong choice.) Send these motivating quotes in a text, use them in an Instagram caption, or simply send your favorite quote to your old office buddy: However you share these positive quotes, theyre sure to do the trick.

Read the original here:
53 Positive Quotes to Inspire and Motivate You - Real Simple

Ive been thinking about motivation lately. I dont know about you, but the idea of staying in bed, eating ice cream, starting cocktail hour at noon and watching movies 24/7 is becoming increasingly attractive to me as weeks at home stretch off into the ever-elusive sunset.

But to date I havent succumbed to these attractions, at least not completely, which has me thinking about why. What is it that wont allow me to embrace piling on my own Covid-15? What is it that gets me to leave my house on these blustery spring days when conditions arent really perfect for anything? I guess you can say Im motivated to stay fit and to be outside, but why?

Motivation is one of the few aspects of athletic performance that we can control or attempt to control. Most of us are limited in our physical endeavors by the body we are born with. There isnt much we can do to change our physique. Sure, we can train for speed and endurance, lift weights to build muscle mass and diet to stay lean, but for someone who is 6-foot-7 a sport like gymnastics is not going to come easily, and a 5-2 person isnt likely to excel at basketball.

Mountain sports are somewhat more forgiving in terms of body-type limitations, but our innate abilities are still just that. Innate. Something sets apart the good from the great, and part of that is inherent physical ability. A lucky few of us are born with raw talent. But we can develop the other aspect that allows athletes to excel. Thats motivation.

Its hard for me to articulate what motivates me to exercise at this stage of my life. Ive just always done it. Ive had some kind of fitness regime since I took up organized sports in high school, and thats a while back now. For as long as I can remember, Ive pursued at least a couple of hours of exercise most days of the week. If you asked me in college what motivated me, I would probably have said being part of a team and the joy of competition or, more specifically, winning.

I was lucky. I happened on a pretty successful crew, and winning was definitely a powerful reward for us in those days. I not felt not only the internal thrill of victory and the pleasure of achievement and teamwork but also the external recognition such achievement brought with it. That was a pretty heady mix of emotions, and they definitely motivated me to work hard.

After college I became a recreational athlete skiing, biking, mountaineering and climbing for fun rather than competition. Now when I think about what motivates me, Id say it is a mix of things, including the satisfaction of achieving a goal, the exhilaration of working hard in the outdoors, the beauty of the natural world and the social aspect of being out with friends recreating together. But, to be honest, I am not always conscious of what is driving me. It is just my lifestyle. I do it in part because everyone I hang out with does it. So maybe that, too, is part of my motivation.

Sports psychologists say athletes are driven by intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards are internal and intangible. You push yourself because it makes you feel good. You experience pleasant sensations such as excitement, fun and aesthetics. For example, you ski because you love the sensation of speed and the feeling of floating through untracked powder. You find joy in the beauty of the sun glinting through snow-covered trees and the view of mountains off in the distance. Those kinds of rewards can be hard to articulate and are more about how you feel inside than something you can tick off on a list of accomplishments. But for me they are an important motivator.

Extrinsic rewards are the tangible things: winning, recognition, sponsorship, glory and fame. Extrinsic rewards are seductive. Who doesnt want to be recognized for his or her accomplishments? Who doesnt like winning?

External targets are also critical to anyone who wants to be a professional athlete. You need to be the first, the fastest, the greatest, the strongest or whatever to be sponsored, so you need to achieve specific milestones in order to be successful. It doesnt matter if you do something that makes you feel good. If its been done before no one is going to pay your way for being second.

I remember back in the early 1990s Todd Skinner and Paul Piana were developing a bunch of climbing crags around Lander. In 1988 the pair free-climbed the Salathe Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. That was a first and a milestone in the climbing world. Skinner and Piana used techniques hang-dogging, rehearsing climbing moves, bolting routes on rappel that are commonplace now but were controversial back then. People thought they were cheating, but maybe they were really critical, or jealous, of the fact that Skinner and Piana were the among the first Americans to successfully support themselves as rock climbers by actively publicizing their accomplishments.

It was something most climbers hadnt really done before, and it seemed as if it cheapened the pure motivations that had driven climbers in the past, the intangible because its there sentiment first articulated by George Mallory when speaking about his efforts to climb Mount Everest in the 1920s.

The fact is, promotion and external rewards are critical for anyone who wants to pursue athletics professionally and, therefore, have to be part of their motivation. You have to be looking for new ways to do things, new ways to break a record, new ways to be noticed if you want to be noticed. The controversy surrounding Todd and Paul seems almost quaint now, but it was a big deal back in the day. People who never met them dismissed their accomplishments with disdain. I, who knew them and knew their passion and joy for climbing, understood that they were figuring out a way to live their dream, and I found that admirable, but it was different. It put a price tag on achievement.

Id say mountain athletes are still uncomfortable with self-promotion. We prefer quiet, unsung heroes who come back from a great physical feat and almost offhandedly let out that they have done something never done before. We like people to be humble and understated.

You just have to read National Geographics Feb. 3 article The Problem with Colin OBrady to get a sense of that. The article doesnt really question OBradys physical accomplishments hes got lots of epic endurance records to his name it is more about how hes touted himself to achieve fame and fortune that makes people uncomfortable. Hes made it his life work to capitalize on his physical accomplishments, and his self-promotion and boosterism turn off a lot of people. He seems to choose goals based on how they benefit his image rather than on the purity of adventure. Or at least thats the way he comes off in the National Geographic piece.

Ultimately, for those of us who are never going to be famous, or sponsored, for our athletic pursuits, intrinsic motivation is better suited for helping us enjoy success and longevity in our sports. Performance and process-oriented goals directed internally rather than at a particular outcome allow us to feel accomplished and satisfied even when we fail. And, when external rewards are absent i.e. a global pandemic means you have to stay close to home and dial down your objectives its internal motivations that can motivate us to get off the couch.

Still, I realize as I struggle to get on my bike when the sky is gray and the wind blowing, external motivations have their place, at least for me. If Im honest, it helps me to think about my friends posting pictures of themselves biking or skiing on social media when Im feeling lazy. It helps me to remember that if I want to keep up with others this summer, I have to put in the work. It helps me to overcome the voice that tells me Im not going to have any fun riding my bike into a headwind if I know that other people are putting in the effort. It helps me to remember that suffering is, in its way, one of the rewards.

And so, while I like to think Im a pure, intrinsically motivated athlete, a little external pressure is useful, especially when the alternative staying at home watching television is becoming increasingly seductive.

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Mountainside: Motivation in the midst of pandemic | Outdoors - Jackson Hole News&Guide

Martin Brundle and Ayrton Senna went head to head on numerous occasions in British Formula 3, times that Brundle looks back on fondly.

Senna's closest competitor in British Formula 3, Brundle was unable to match the highs of the Brazilian in Formula 1, but the driver turned Sky Sports commentator revealed how Senna paid him the biggest compliment possible following a race at Thruxton in 1983.

"Ayrton told me at this moment, happy in F3 championship victory in the final few laps, that I was the best British driver since Jim Clark," wrote Brundle. "He was trying to make me feel better. I have this picture in my gym as motivation, second place hurts a lot. Senna Sempre."

Senna took the 1983 British F3 title scoring 132-points to Brundle's 123 - the pair streets ahead of third placed David Leslie.

Both drivers progressed from the championship into Formula 1 for 1984 but, while Senna would quickly move from Toleman, to Lotus, to McLaren, Brundle was left driving relatively poor machinery for several years.

Despite their closeness in the junior Formula, the mismatch in machinery meant that the two would only stand on the Formula 1 podium together once - the Italian Grand Prix in 1992.

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Brundle: 'I have this picture in my gym as motivation' - GPfans