The Motivation Myth - Why Action Must Come First

Why Going Ahead Despite Motivation Is Key

Image by Zac Ong from Unsplash

One word comes up in nearly every initial conversation I have with clients. The word is Stuck. 

They describe a familiar weight. Their days are consumed in ways they didn’t intend, and they’re operating below their potential. They want to level-up their outlook, recalibrate priorities, even overhaul how they move through the world. If you’re reading this and nodding along, what I’m about to share isn’t revolutionary or fancy. But it works.

The path forward — YOUR path forward — is simple but not without cost. Your path forward demands what many people aren’t willing to pay: clear-eyed honesty followed by action regardless of mood, motivation or circumstance. That’s it. This is the secret sauce that moves mountains. What to do? In this order, do this:

Step 1: Ask “Am I actually who and how I aspire to be?”

Step 2: Once you’ve sat with that, take stock of what you for-real want, and take responsibility. Take responsibility for your thoughts, words, attitude, actions — all of it. 

Step 3: Now decide who and how you’re going to be and take action toward your vision — the smallest action, by 11am the next morning. 

Step 4: Take a second action — the smallest action, by 11am the next day as well. 

Step 5: Moving forward, take action toward your vision — the smallest action, 3 to 4 times weekly.

Action is where most people falter. They stop at a so-called decision. Decisions do not reside in our mind and remain there however. Real decisions require ACTION. 

If you don’t act, there’s been no decision. No action = no decision.

Again, most people stop short of acting. They read self-help books and they scroll through LinkedIn posts but reading about transformation isn’t transformation. Thinking about change isn’t change. 

YOU are the one who must open the door, take the chance, and do the thing. The truth is, waiting for motivation won’t get you much. The further truth is this: Action itself motivates. Mood follows action, not the other way around.

Action shifts your energy, your mindset, and who you’re accustomed to being. Acting may be uncomfortable and inconvenient. It’s daily, identity-level work that requires you to consistently choose your future self over status quo and DO something — the smallest thing, toward who you’re becoming.

Human beings are builders and doers who make things happen— it’s part of our DNA. You’re a builder who can level-up at any time. The only requirement is that you decide and act, even in the smallest of ways, again and again and again. 

Decide and act. That’s your ticket — your can’t-miss path forward.