When I worked for Beachbody, the first few months were embarrassing. Not because I didn’t have any professional success. Quite the opposite.
I was embarrassed because after a few months working for a fitness company I had not lost any freaking weight! Zero. Nada. Zilch.
I already was “sort of” watching my diet and had a strong intention to begin one of the Beachbody programs. The intention, however, remained just that – the intention. That was the most embarrassing part.
I remember talking to one of the Beachbody directors and complaining about needing the motivation to start (as if being overweight in LA, and specifically, working for a fitness company wasn’t motivating enough). I asked him: How!? How do I get the motivation?
He looked at me with compassion and said…
“You don’t. You just start without motivation. Motivation not required, it’s a myth. If you wait for it, you will never achieve anything.”
This stuck with me for the rest of my life.
Why We Fail
Often, we think that we fail because we don’t have enough motivation to continue. We start something fired up and then we deflate. Motivation only lasted long enough to get us through the first couple steps. And as we ran out of steam, we sat on our butts puzzled as to how to get the motivation back.
Motivation is an internal force that fluctuates. It rises and falls through distinct stages:
- Desire/Need (The Spark)
- Decision to Act (Commitment)
- Initial Excitement (Momentum)
- Frustration/Plateau (Resistance)
- Re-ignition (Renewed Drive)
- Sustained Motivation (Consistency)
At each stage, motivation can weaken or disappear. If you depend on it, your transformation will stop.
The truth is, you were actually pretty lucky to even get the motivation in the first place. But motivation was never supposed to be the fuel. It only serves as an initial nudge. It’s never there to last. It’s there to give us a swift kick to do something while we are not ready, not prepared, and may not even want to change just yet.
The fun fact about motivation that people usually don’t know is that if it’s there at all, it’s doing just that – carrying us through the first few steps, when we are supposed to… kind of take over! And, yes, that means to act without motivation. Restrain yourself. Do research. Organize your actions when you don’t want to take them. And continue acting, even when it’s inconvenient. Tiring. Painful.
It doesn’t mean we have to smash through walls from day one. A lot of achievement happens through a series of consistent small steps.
Key word – consistent.
They Call It Breakthrough For a Reason
The moment we begin to change the status quo, comes our good old friend Resistance. Steven Pressfield famously called this Resistance in The War of Art an invisible, universal force that pushes back anytime we try to level up, create, or step toward our true potential.
Resistance shows up as stumbling blocks, schedule conflicts, a million other things popping up that are seemingly as important. It’s nature’s reaction to sound an alarm when stability is disturbed.
That’s when our brain screams at the top of its non-existent lungs “Stop it! It all was working just fine. You are going to the Unfamiliar! Shit can happen there that we won’t be able to handle!” And the faster you move, the louder the scream.
These are not signs of failure. They are signs that growth is actually happening. That’s the time to gently tell our darling brain, “Yo, bro. That’s the plan. To go to the Unknown and make shit actually happen.”
That is the true meaning of the Breakthrough. It only happens when we break through the Resistance. It’s the only way we can accomplish anything.
The Breakthrough Framework
So, ultimately, you do not need motivation to change. Instead, I want to offer you something better.
A Decision.
Decision is not an uncontrolled internal nudge that happens to you and that you can’t quite place. It’s a chosen internal commitment to yourself, it’s what you do. It steps over the feeling of wanting to act and changes it to a choice to act. Decision creates momentum, and where motivation fades, restated decision refuels.
But most importantly, Decision acts as an internal agreement with your own psyche on getting from A to Z despite the unpredictability of the status quo. The brain may still be vocal, but it will now be more like nagging, other than full blown siren.
Power of Decision – The Power of Choice
So, with this rediscovered asset, here is a simple framework that you can follow that will help you get result:
Step 1: Assessment and Decision
Start with a grounded self-assessment. It ensures you’re clear on where you are and what you can realistically handle. This avoids overly idealistic expectations and builds sustainable progress.
Don’t ask, “What’s the best thing I want?”
Ask, “What’s the best thing I can do that is both achievable and acceptable?”
Then, when you get the answer, make a deliberate decision to choose this.
Step 2: Define a Clear and Measurable Result
Clarity is essential. A measurable result turns intention into a target.
Vague goals like “be happier,” “earn more,” or “lose weight” don’t work because they aren’t measurable. Precision creates action.
“I want to run in the mornings” is vague.
“Run every weekday morning for 5+ minutes and add 1 minute daily” is clear and trackable.
Specific goals give your brain a target and something to lock onto.
Step 3: Define the Steps and Prioritize
Break the goal into smaller, manageable steps. Focus on what matters most.
Big goals fail when you try to hold everything at once. Zoom in. One layer at a time.
Trying to do everything at once leads to overwhelm and burnout, so isolate what actually matters and move in sequence.
Step 4: Micro-Actions That Build Macro-Change
Small, consistent actions build momentum over time.
Three squats a day won’t transform your life, but it starts the system.
Lay out workout clothes. Put them on. Open the door. Each step counts.
Don’t aim for habits first. Aim for action. Habits are the result of repetition, not the starting point.
Step 5: You Don’t Have to Be Perfect – Just Consistent
Momentum matters more than perfection.
You will adjust. You will mess up. That is part of the process, not a failure.
Real progress is rarely linear. The only real failure is stopping.
Start small. Think it through. Then act. Refine through movement, not before it.
To move toward your goal, you must move. The best method often reveals itself only after action, not before it.
The Burnout
Still burnt out? It’s OK. This happens.
But you only risk failure if you are unprepared.
Sometimes, it’s OK to take a break, step aside, recharge, and get back on track. Or even restart if it gets there. It’s OK. You are not a machine that works by the clock and never fails. Hey, even machines need oiling. But be prepared for something like this. Assess the risks and have a plan ready. And give yourself permission to stumble. It’s not a defeat if it’s expected and controlled.
You don’t have to move fast. You just have to keep moving. We, as human beings, are capable of so much more than we think we are. Even a turtle may still win the race.
So, make your single step today. Then another one tomorrow. You will be running in no time.
Run, Forrest. Run.
