You Don't Need Motivation. Stop Using It As An Excuse.

You don’t need motivation to get things done. If you did, no one would ever go to work or pay taxes.

Yet, here you are, telling yourself you’ll start chasing your goals when you feel more motivated. Well, that day isn’t coming.

Motivation is like that flaky friend who hypes you up but never actually shows up. It’s unreliable, inconsistent, and honestly, kind of a diva.

We’ve all been there, waiting for that magical burst of inspiration before taking action. But here’s the harsh truth: motivation is a feeling, not a strategy.

If you’re waiting to feel ready, you’ll spend your life watching Netflix and making excuses instead of making progress.

Think about the most successful people you know. Do you really think they wake up every day feeling pumped to work out, write, or build businesses? Absolutely not.

They take action whether they feel like it or not. They understand something most people don’t: action leads to motivation, not the other way around.

The problem isn’t that you lack motivation - it’s that you’re using it as an excuse. And if you keep doing that, your dreams will stay exactly where they are: locked in your head with no real-world results.

In this post, I’ll break down why motivation is overrated, why relying on it keeps you stuck, and most importantly, how to stop waiting for it and start achieving your goals.

Your future self isn’t going to thank you for all the times you procrastinated. Let’s get go!

The Truth About Motivation

Motivation Is Temporary

Motivation is that friend who hypes you up at 2 AM but disappears when it's time to actually do something. It feels amazing in the moment, but it fades - fast.

Ever been pumped to start a workout routine, only to quit after three days? That’s motivation betraying you.

It’s unreliable because it depends on how you feel. And feelings? They’re about as stable as a toddler on a sugar high. If you only take action when you feel like it, you’ll never get anywhere.

Why Relying on Motivation Leads to Inaction

Let’s talk about the dangerous game of waiting to feel ready. You tell yourself, “I’ll start when I feel more motivated.” Then weeks pass. Maybe months. Next thing you know, it’s a whole new year, and you’re still waiting.

This cycle kills progress. You start with excitement, hit a rough patch, lose motivation, and then do...nothing.

Then comes the guilt. You wonder why you can’t stick to anything. That self-doubt makes it even harder to take action. Rinse and repeat.

Meanwhile, time keeps passing. And you’re stuck, convincing yourself that you just need to want it more. No. You don’t need to want it more. You need to do it anyway.

Success Is Built on Action, Not Motivation

Think about the most successful people - athletes, entrepreneurs, artists. Do you think they wake up every day excited to grind? No chance. They do it because it needs to be done.

Success isn’t about feeling ready. It’s about taking action even when you don’t want to. The people who succeed aren’t necessarily the most motivated; they’re the most consistent.

They show up, do the work, and trust that motivation will catch up later.

Action Creates Motivation, Not the Other Way Around

Here’s the plot twist: motivation doesn’t come before action - it follows action. Ever forced yourself to start something and then suddenly felt motivated?

That’s because motivation is triggered by progress - and as I say, "Happiness is progress", and last time I checked, happiness is a pretty decent motivator.

The hardest part of anything is starting. Once you push through that resistance, momentum takes over. Suddenly, you feel in the zone, not because motivation magically appeared, but because you acted first.

If you wait for motivation to start, you might wait forever. But if you start anyway, motivation will eventually show up. Maybe late. Maybe uninvited. But it will show up.

And that’s how you break free from the cycle of inaction.

How to Overcome a Lack of Motivation and Take Action Anyway

So, we’ve established that motivation is flaky. It won’t magically show up and make things easy. Now what? You take action anyway. Here’s how:

Adopt a "Discipline Over Motivation" Mindset

Stop treating motivation like it’s the key to success. It’s not. Discipline is. Discipline is what makes people show up when they don’t feel like it. It’s what turns dreams into actual achievements.

Think about brushing your teeth. You don’t wake up motivated to do it. You just do it because it’s a habit. That’s the goal - turning important tasks into things you do automatically.

The secret? Stop making decisions based on feelings. Feelings are unreliable. Commit to taking action no matter what.

Use the 5-Second Rule to Beat Procrastination

Ever heard of Mel Robbins’ 5-Second Rule? It’s simple: The moment you think about doing something, count down from five. Then do it before your brain talks you out of it.

Why does this work? Because your brain loves excuses. It will convince you to "start later," "do it tomorrow," or "wait for motivation." Counting down forces you to act before those excuses take over.

Try it. Next time you need to work out, write, or get off the couch, count: 5-4-3-2-1—GO! No overthinking. Just action.

Start Small and Lower the Activation Energy

The hardest part of anything is starting. If something feels too overwhelming, shrink it down. Make it so easy you can’t say no.

Want to start exercising? Don’t commit to an hour-long workout. Start with five minutes. Want to read more? Read one page.

Lowering the activation energy makes starting effortless. And once you start, momentum kicks in. Five minutes becomes ten. One page becomes a chapter. Before you know it, you’re in motion.

Build Habits That Work Even When You’re Not Motivated

Motivation is unreliable. Habits are not. If you rely on motivation, you’ll be inconsistent. If you rely on habits, you’ll be unstoppable.

How do you build habits? Make them easy and repeatable. Stack them onto things you already do. For example:

Want to meditate? Do it after brushing your teeth.
Want to exercise? Lay out your workout clothes the night before.
Want to write? Open your laptop the moment you sit at your desk.

The goal is to remove decision-making. The fewer decisions you have to make, the easier it is to take action.

Change Your Environment to Trigger Action

Your environment affects your behavior way more than you think. If your surroundings encourage laziness, you’ll be lazy. If they encourage action, you’ll take action.

Want to stop scrolling? Delete social media apps from your phone.
Want to eat healthier? Keep junk food out of the house.
Want to focus? Work in a clutter-free space.

Make your environment work for you, not against you. Set it up so taking action is the easiest option.

The Bottom Line: Just Start

The biggest mistake? Waiting until you feel ready. You won’t. And that’s fine. Start anyway.

I'm gonna keep saying it; Action leads to motivation, not the other way around. Take the first step, no matter how small. Once you do, momentum will carry you forward.

No more excuses. No more waiting. Just start.

How to Stop Using "Lack of Motivation" as an Excuse

At this point, you know motivation isn’t your problem. The real issue? You’re using it as an excuse. And excuses keep you stuck.

It’s time to call yourself out and start doing the things you say you want to do.

Recognize When You’re Making Excuses

Be honest, how many times have you said:

“I’ll start when I feel more motivated.”
“I just don’t have the energy today.”
“I need to be in the right mindset.”

Sound familiar? These are excuses, not valid reasons. They feel real because your brain is great at tricking you into avoiding discomfort. But discomfort is the price of progress.

Every time you catch yourself making an excuse, flip it. Instead of “I don’t feel like it,” say, “I’ll do it anyway.” The more you override your excuses, the weaker they get.

Use Accountability to Stay on Track

If you struggle to hold yourself accountable, bring in backup. Tell someone your goal. Announce it publicly. Join a group of people working toward similar things.

Why does this work? Because nobody wants to look like a flake. If you tell a friend you’re going to the gym, skipping feels embarrassing. If you post about your goal online, quitting makes you look unreliable.

Find someone who will call you out when you slack off. You don’t need motivation - you need accountability.

the Pain of Staying the Same vs. Taking Action

People don’t change until staying the same becomes more painful than taking action. So, what happens if you don’t take action?

If you don’t chase your goals, will you regret it in five years? Or if you keep waiting, what opportunities will you miss? How about if you never start, how will your life look in a decade?

Now flip it - what happens if you do take action? What would life be like if you followed through? How much better will you feel knowing you’re making progress?

Regret is heavier than effort. Choose effort.

You're Always Motivated

In my book Making It Happen there's a whole chapter on motivation. My theory is that motivation doesn't go up and down they way people say.

I think we're actually always motivated, but it just changes direction - usually whether we like it or not.

When there's something we want to do but we "don't feel motivated", it's actually because we're more motivated to do something else.

Figure out what that something is, be honest about it, and change the direction of your motivation towards the action you want.

Just Start

Still waiting to feel like taking action? Stop. Just start. Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s small.

Your brain wants to keep you in your comfort zone. The only way out is to ignore the excuses and move before you feel ready.

Because the truth is you’ll probably never feel ready. But you don’t need to. You just need to start.

Something To Think About

Motivation is overrated. It’s unreliable, inconsistent, and honestly, a terrible life coach. If you keep waiting for it, you’ll keep waiting forever.

The truth? You don’t need motivation - you need action. Action builds momentum. Momentum builds results. Results build confidence. And confidence? That’s what keeps you going.

Think about it; how many times have you told yourself, “I’ll start tomorrow”? How many dreams have you let sit on the shelf because you didn’t feel ready? How much further could you be if you had just started when you first thought about it?

Your future self is watching. Five years from now, you’ll either thank yourself or regret wasting more time. The choice is yours.

You don’t need to take a massive leap today. You just need to take one small step. One push-up. One page read. One tiny action that signals to your brain, we’re doing this now.

Stop waiting. Stop hesitating. Stop letting a "lack of motivation" be the excuse that keeps you stuck.

Here’s a little secret: The people who achieve their goals aren’t more motivated than you. They’ve just learned to move forward without it.

Now, the real question is - what are you going to do about it?

This post was all about how you don't need motivation to pursue goals.