I used to think motivation was the secret sauce. The magic bullet. The spark that would finally get me moving.
If I could just get hyped enough, inspired enough, emotional enough—then I’d launch. I’d change. I’d rise up.
And I did get motivated. A lot.
I watched every YouTube video that fired me up. I listened to the gritty podcasts. I read the books with the bold titles. I got lit. I felt the rush.
But when it came time to actually do something?
I didn’t move.
Motivation made me feel like a man on a mission. But feelings lie.
And I started to notice a pattern.
The Motivation Loop That Kept Me Spinning
I became an expert in getting excited.
An addict for inspiration. A master of the moment.
But then I’d go to do the work… and I’d freeze. Fizzle. Quit.
Why?
Because I confused the feeling of motivation with the discipline of momentum.
It was like stacking firewood and never striking the match.
Zig Ziglar said, “Motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.”
And I get that.
But Goggins? He cut through all the fluff: Motivation is crap.
It’s fickle. It’s soft. It’s not dependable. You can’t build a life on hype.
And I learned that the hard way.
The real issue wasn’t that I lacked motivation.
The problem was that I stayed in prep mode.
Researching. Planning. Organizing. Dreaming.
But never doing.
What Finally Broke the Pattern
After years of stalling out, I did the uncomfortable thing:
I took messy, uncertain, unpolished action.
I hit record on a YouTube video. I told the truth. I showed up without answers.
I said, “I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m doing it.”
And that changed everything.
I went from five years of overthinking to one year of relentless showing up.
Since then, I’ve published close to 100 videos.
I’ve passed 100,000 views. I’m pushing toward 2,000 subscribers.
But more important than any of those numbers?
I found clarity. I found confidence. I found direction.
And none of that came from a motivational video.
It came from the decision to move.
Action Comes First. Every Time.
Most mornings, I wake up at 4:30.
You think I’m motivated to do that? Nope.
I don’t roll out of bed with fireworks going off in my chest.
Most mornings, I feel like staying in bed. I argue with myself.
“Why not just sleep in till 5:30? It’s not that big of a deal.”
But I don’t. Because I made a commitment.
Because I said I would.
And that’s the difference.
The more I take action, the less I wait around for a feeling.
And strangely enough, that action builds momentum.
That momentum creates clarity.
Clarity builds confidence.
And confidence brings a kind of motivation that isn’t emotional hype—it’s earned.
I used to think motivation was what I needed to start.
Turns out, it’s what shows up after you start. It’s what keeps me going.
The Trap Most Guys Fall Into
Most men are stuck.
Not because they don’t care. Not because they’re lazy.
But because they’re waiting.
Waiting to feel inspired.
Waiting for a green light.
Waiting for the stars to align.
But here’s the truth:
You don’t need more content. You don’t need more motivation.
You need to move.
You need to do the thing.
Because action is what brings direction.
Action is what reveals who you are.
You’re not going to think your way into clarity.
You’re going to act your way into it.
Here’s What I Know Now
Motivation is a guest.
Discipline is a home.
And once you build that home, motivation actually starts showing up more consistently.
Why?
Because now it has somewhere to land.
So no, I don’t trust motivation.
Not as a foundation.
Not as a strategy.
Not as the thing I wait for.
But I do respect what comes after obedience.
That inner fire? That clarity? That strength?
That comes after the work.
I’ve lived the other way.
Hyped up. Sitting still.
Telling myself I needed more info. More clarity. More energy.
But none of that moved the needle.
What moved the needle was movement.
Doing the thing before I felt ready.
Before I had the plan.
Before the motivation kicked in.
So Let Me Say This to You
If you’re stuck in that loop—watching content, reading books, getting pumped up but never making real moves?
Break it.
Move first.
You don’t need hype.
You need purpose.
You need to remember why you’re here.
And then act like it.
Need something steady to help you show up every day, especially when motivation fails you?
Check out the 31-Day Start Strong Check-In.
It’s not hype. It’s not fluff.
It’s structure, scripture, and honest questions to help you lead yourself well.
Start today. Not someday.
