Finding Your Motivation Again
We’ve all been there. You’re running full steam ahead with plans. Motivation is at an all time high. You are organized. You are using your planner each morning, tracking goals, checking off to-dos. You are feeling strong and on top of it. Everything is clicking. And then something changes. A curveball comes your way. You are thrown off routine. Everything pauses because a child gets sick or you recover from surgery or pause life to care for an aging parent. And suddenly the planner collects dust, buried under the mail pile and permission slips. You fall out of your exercise routine. Suddenly those achievable goals are feeling very far away. Or maybe you’re just bored or feeling like your plan isn’t working and you want to give up. If you can relate to any of this, today’s post is for you. We’re diving into how to get out of a funk when you’re in it and how to find motivation to tackle a new goal or to keep going when it feels really hard to start again.
Remember Your Why
Open a blank page of your planner or notebook. Set a timer for five to ten minutes and brain dump your big picture vision for what’s ahead. What is the goal you’re hoping to achieve? Is it a new goal or an old goal? Why is this important to you? In your dream scenario, what is your greatest wish at this moment in time? The sky is the limit. Maybe your goal is to complete a triathlon. Or to save to buy your first home or to pay off your credit card debt and follow a budget. Or to start strength training again. Maybe you want to write a book or become more active in your local community. Write about your dream. If you’re a visual person, spend some time creating a vision board. This vision board should be fun and inspiring. Hang it somewhere you will see it each day.
Breaking Things Down
Next let’s think practically about our plan. Think in realistic terms about your timeline. There’s a fine line between speed and quality. We all want things quickly but will achieving them quickly guarantee quality, long-lasting results? You need to find the balance between pushing yourself and being realistic about what you can do. Think about three weeks or three months from now. Will you still be able to keep up with the plan you’ve made?
Accept Fleeting Motivation
The sooner we accept that our motivation will always ebb and flow, the better. Your willpower will only hold out for so long and if set too strictly, it will fade quickly. If you don’t workout at all right now, setting a goal of working out six days a week is probably not achievable. After a week it will feel too hard and you will begin to dread it. If you want to write a book, setting a goal of writing 30 pages a day might not be possible in the beginning. To begin, start with the smallest unit of the habit to help you reach your goal. If your goal is to be able to complete 50 pushups, start with one rep. Want to run a half-marathon? Start by walking/jogging one mile. Think about setting up your baseline for success and your non-negotiables, the level you won’t fall below. What’s the minimum in your plan you can hold yourself to as you begin? After you’ve completed your brain dump about the big, overarching goal, write out the plan to get there. Begin with a simple sentence in your notebook. Next, write three achievable action plan items to help you on the path of your big goal.
Basic Needs First
No goal no matter how big or small will be achievable if you’re first not covering your basics. Before you spend money on expensive training plans, memberships, supplements, supplies, and new clothes, think about your basics. Are you drinking enough water each day? Are you getting 7-9 hours of sleep at night? Are you eating foods that make your body feel good? Are you getting outside for a walk? How are you managing your stress levels?
Set Up For Success
When trying to refocus on old goals or new ones, we need to sharpen our senses. Cut out distractions as best you can. If making time to work toward your goal feels hard, like you have no time in your day, check in with your screen time. Are you zoning out for hours in front of the TV at night? Mindlessly scrolling your phone? Maybe you thought you scrolled for 15 minutes but it was actually closer to an hour. Can you block or delete distracting apps on your phone? Can you take five minutes before bed to make your goal more achievable the next day? This might look like setting out workout clothes and filling your water bottle or putting your gym bag in the car. Maybe you clean off your desk and set up your workspace to write the next day. Are there rewards you can pair with a task you dislike? Maybe your goal is to organize your entire house and you have set a goal to spend one hour each afternoon organizing. Maybe you have an audiobook you can’t stop listening to and can listen while you work.
Be Kind
Whenever we start (or restart) something new, we will likely be out of shape, out of practice, and faking it til we make it. Accept where you are and be kind to yourself. Speak to yourself as you would a good friend. Do not fall down the shame spiral of where you are in this moment. Whatever happened before, you are here now and showing up for yourself. The hardest part is starting and the more consistent you can be, the more momentum you will build. Create a favorite things list, a list of comforting things you can rely on and use as rewards on the hardest days when your motivation feels furthest away.
Each day, remind yourself that today is the day to help the future version of you. What would help her future? How could you make her proud today? We would love to hear from you about your goals for the remainder of 2026 and what helps pull you from a rut when you’re in one. Please tell us in the comments below!