Motivation. What does that word mean to you? Wikipedia says:
Motivation is a psychological feature that arouses an organism to act towards a desired goal and elicits, controls, and sustains certain goal-directed behaviors. It can be considered a driving force; a psychological one that compels or reinforces an action toward a desired goal.
That definition pretty much sums it up, but what does that mean to you? As you know everyone is different. I think the most important part of the definition is “to act towards a desired goal”. So with that in mind, what is your goal? What motivates you to get up early in the morning to come to the Fort or what drives you to come to the Fort after a long hard day of work?
Have you always been the type of person to workout at the local Globo gym or was CrossFit your first time starting a workout routine? For those of you that have always worked out, did you turn to CrossFit because it was different and pushed you in a different way? For those that started working out with CrossFit did you start because you had a weight loss goal, did you start because the people you worked out with were supportive and pushed you in a different way?
What is it that motivates you to come to the fort day in and day out? The reason I bring this up is because if you don’t know why you do it then most likely at some point you will lose your motivation. It's important to keep perspective on what gets you through the door at the Fort.
How do you continue to keep your motivation? I believe the first part is to reflect on why you started CrossFit in the first place. The second is to set reasonable goals or expectations of yourself. You have to realize that even though CrossFit is constantly varied it is still the same to your body because it's still just a workout. You have to set goals and seek out various things that motivate you to keep bettering yourself. You also need to change what motivates you from time to time.
Some ways to stay motivated are:
Continue to set goals and work towards them. That doesn't mean you set a goal, work towards it for a week or two then slowly stop. You may need to seek advice from a coach so they can program some progression work for you.
Find someone that has the same goal as you. Use each other to push and keep each other accountable.
Find a workout partner and choose to motivate them by leading by example. If you push yourself to motivate others it's only going to motivate you to become better.
Try new things! You know how many times I've heard veteran CrossFitters at the fort say that they were scared to try team Saturday. Team Saturday is a great because when you work as a team you're always going to be pushed because you don't want to let your team down. Then there are those that will say, that is why I don't want to try team Saturday. But honestly when has someone at the fort ever made you feel bad for doing your best!? I don't care what your skill or strength level is, if I'm there I'll be your partner anytime!
Participate in a Hero WOD. If doing a workout to honor someone that has given their life for your Freedom isn't a good enough motivational tool then I don't know what is. Think about those that sacrificed their life so you could live yours in peace. Imagine if they came up with an excuse not to do what they do. Not only are you honoring the fallen but you are also honoring their families and the sacrifices they make along the way. If you think I'm trying to make you feel guilty you are right, I'm also trying to motivate you 
Some of you may be asking well what motivates me. What gets Josh Tran to the Fort? I'll be honest with you - I am very lucky to have many things to keep me motivated. The first thing is you! I am fortunate enough to see people come into the fort and push themselves, many times way beyond what they think they can do - even if it isn't RX workouts or Record Board pace! I'm motivated by the fact that at least they came in and did something. I'm also motivated by the fact that I need to be able to push myself in hopes that in some way I can motivate you to push yourself. If I motivate just one person to workout harder or step through that door when everything draws you to do something else, then I have done my job.
The last thing that always motivates me is my job. In my line of work if I'm not in shape then my life or other lives could be lost. There are many times that I don't want to wake up early or workout after a long day of work but there is a saying that sticks with me "somewhere, there is someone out there training harder to kill you". For me, I need to know that I did everything I could to be the best and prepare for that day.
So...what motivates you? Evaluate yourself from time to time, do things out of your comfort zone, try new things. Be creative on what keeps you motivated and never hesitate to speak to a coach about your desires and goals.