I am not sure if this is just my incoherent ramblings, or if this could be of help to some of you. I had some time on my hands today, so I wanted to get this down. let me know what you think.

A Warrior’s motivation
By hrdgain81 of bb.net
March 23, 2006

Recently I have observed a growing trend within the online community of bodybuilders, fitness professions, and trainers to boil everything down to very simplistic terms. It is my belief that the K.I.S.S. method (keep it simple stupid) is very effect, and can keep even the most advanced athlete from many pitfalls inherent in many aspects of resistance training. However, some things simply can not be brought down to the lowest common denominator, and need very careful attention. Most importantly, at least in my eyes, is motivation.
Within the last few months I’ve seen many responses on the topic of motivation by those in the community who I think of as the elite. They over simplify and break down motivation like this, “either you have it, or you don’t”, “get off your ass and work”, “being lazy is no excuse for mediocrity”. Now don’t get me wrong, in general I agree. Some people are so self loathing they would rather sit on their fat asses and complain then lift a finger to do something about it. But when I take a good look at what motivates me, and what I do to get my mind right, there is something missing in these responses. I can understand the concept of tough love being conveyed, but that only goes so far when you’re typing on a forum.
God knows there are days when I feel like I just can’t do it, and I’d rather be on the couch with a half gallon of Bryer’s then go to the gym. There are also days when I get to the gym, and my intensity is complete shit. I go through the motions, but my head just isn’t in it. But because this has been on my mind lately, I decided to write down the specific things I do to get my ass to the gym, and to move my intensity up once I’m there.
There is one central idea that is linked to my personal motivation for both aspects I’ve talked about, and that is emotion. I’ve been a martial artist since I was 10 years old, and I’ve had the good fortune to learn from some amazing individuals. Much of the martial arts centers on controlling your emotions and I believe this to be perhaps the most powerful way to create motivation within yourself.
There are two distinctly different schools of thought in regard to emotion. One philosophy is to deny your self emotion and its pitfalls. By doing so you can maintain control over the mind and body, allowing for rational thought response. The other is to allow emotion to empower you. Emotions are very powerful things; they can elicit amazing responses from your body. It can allow strength and speed that you perhaps had not thought possible. But that response comes at a price, when emotions take over, the mind simply can no think logically, some call it blinding. This can cause lapses in judgment, over exertion, and both mental and physical fatigue.
When you combined these two philosophies is when a truly amazing motivation can be achieved. The technique goes like this; first you clear your mind of all thoughts and emotions. I use a method called ZaZen meditation to achieve this state. (I can provide more info on this if you wish) Then I slowly allow for very intense memories to creep in, eliciting an emotional response. Through this technique I can control emotional reaction by selecting certain memories. If I’m shooting for a new personal best, or severely lacking on a particular day, I will only draw on the most painful and ripping memories. If I just need a kick in the ass, it could be as simple as a “are you gonna let the guy next to you move more weight then you?” type of thought. Once the set is done, or I have completed the particular task, I set those memories aside, and the emotions that go with them. Retaining this balance will keep you from the pitfalls I mentioned earlier.
This is by no means an elementary process, and it takes a long time before you can easily access emotions this way. But once this process is mastered, the power it holds can be amazing. The best way to describe it is like a light switch. When the switch is off, emotions are gone, and I am in complete control. When I chose to flip that switch, the lights come on, and all hell breaks lose. I imagine many of you use a similar process, and aren’t consciously aware of it. Others have called this psyching up, but I believe the process I’ve outlined goes far beyond that.
I would hesitate to suggest this for every one; some people simply can not control their emotions. If you know that you have trouble in that area, you may want to look into other areas of motivation. But if you generally have control of yourself, and think you can handle it, give it a go. You will be surprised just how effect this technique can be.

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I don't do this for my family, my friends, women, accolades, pride, or ego. I do it for me and no one else, its just part of who I am.