Action Creates Motivation (Not the Other Way Around)
Lynne Steiner • March 3, 2025
Stop Waiting for Motivation—It’s Not Coming
You know that magical burst of motivation you’re waiting for? The one that’s going to launch you off the couch, into your workout gear, and straight to the gym with Rocky-style intensity?
Yeah, it’s not coming.
Motivation is like a flaky friend who always promises to show up but ghosts you at the last second. If you’re sitting around waiting to “feel ready,” you’ll be waiting forever. The truth is, motivation doesn’t come before action. Action creates motivation. And once you understand this, you’ll never get stuck again.
The Motivation Myth That’s Holding You Back
Most people believe they need motivation first—like it’s the magic key that unlocks all fitness success. They think:
👉 “Once I feel motivated, I’ll start working out.”
👉 “When I have more energy, I’ll eat healthier.”
👉 “If I get inspired, I’ll finally commit to a routine.”
But here’s the real secret: Motivation follows action, not the other way around.
That’s right. The simple act of starting—even when you don’t feel like it—triggers motivation. It’s like rolling a snowball downhill: the hardest part is that first push, but once it starts moving, momentum takes over.
Why Waiting for Motivation Leads to Nowhere
If you rely on motivation, you’re setting yourself up for inconsistency. And inconsistency is the silent killer of progress. Here’s why:
1. Motivation is as Unreliable as WiFi on an Airplane
- Some days, you’ll feel fired up. Other days, you’ll want to glue yourself to the couch and eat cereal straight from the box.
- If you only act when you “feel like it,” you’ll skip workouts, make excuses, and stall your progress.
2. Procrastination Feeds on Inaction
- The longer you wait, the harder it is to start. Your brain builds up the task into some impossible mountain when really, it’s just a few steps up a hill.
- “I’ll start Monday” turns into “I’ll start next week,” and suddenly, it’s been six months, and you’re wondering why your gym clothes still have tags on them.
Action Sparks Motivation (Not the Other Way Around)
Here’s where things get interesting. The moment you do something, no matter how small, your brain shifts gears:
🔹 You do one squat → “Well, I might as well do five more.”
🔹 You put on your workout shoes → “Eh, I guess I could go for a walk.”
🔹 You drink water instead of Diet Coke → “Maybe I’ll make a healthier choice for lunch too.”
See what’s happening? Taking action—even the tiniest step—creates momentum. Your brain starts getting on board. Your body wakes up. And before you know it, you’re in motion.
How to Trick Yourself Into Action
Now that you know motivation is overrated, here’s how to hack your brain into doing the thing even when you don’t feel like it:
1. Commit to Just 5 Minutes
- Tell yourself, “I’ll just do 5 minutes.” That’s it. No pressure.
- Once you start, you’ll probably keep going—because getting started is the hardest part.
2. Lower the Barrier to Entry
- Make things stupidly easy to begin.
- Sleep in your workout clothes. Keep a water bottle next to your bed. Set your gym shoes by the door.
3. Create a Non-Negotiable Habit
- Brush your teeth → Put on workout clothes.
- Make coffee → Do 10 air squats.
- Get home from work → Walk around the block.
- Attach your workout to something you already do daily, so it becomes second nature.
4. Remove Decision Fatigue
- If you have to “decide” whether to work out every day, you’ll give yourself too many outs.
- Instead, schedule it like an appointment—no thinking, just doing.
The Bottom Line: Motivation is Overrated
If you’re waiting to feel motivated before you take action, you’ll be stuck forever. Instead:
✔ Take action first—no matter how small.
✔ Let momentum do the rest.
✔ Stop treating workouts like an option. Make them a non-negotiable.
Your future self will thank you. Now, go do one
thing—right now. Even if it’s just standing up and stretching. Because the second you start, you’re already ahead. 🚀
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You’ve probably heard them whispered in locker rooms, shouted by influencers, or maybe muttered inside your own head: the fitness myths that refuse to die. They’re sneaky little things—like weeds in your garden, stealing nutrients from the real growth. And worst of all? These myths don’t just waste your time. They crush your motivation. If you’ve ever felt like giving up on your fitness journey, chances are you’ve been haunted by at least one of these lies. Let’s rip them out by the roots. Myth #1: No Pain, No Gain Ah, the battle cry of every bad '80s workout montage. Sweat pouring, muscles screaming, someone yelling “Push through the pain!” Sure, it makes for great cinema. But in real life? It’s a one-way ticket to Burnoutville with a layover in Injury City. Here’s the truth: - Discomfort is part of growth. Think of your muscles like teenagers—they grumble when you challenge them, but they come back stronger. - Pain , however, is a red flag. Pain is the body’s version of flashing hazard lights on the highway. Ignore it, and you’ll be pulled over by the Injury Police. Believing this myth makes people chase intensity at the expense of consistency. They torch their motivation faster than a gas station burrito torching your digestive system. Myth #2: You Must Be Perfect With Diet and Exercise Raise your hand if you’ve ever said, “I’ll start over Monday.” (Be honest. Your hand went up, didn’t it?) This is the all-or-nothing myth —the sneakiest of them all. It convinces you that if you don’t hit every macro, crush every workout, and drink nothing but kale juice, you’ve failed. Here’s the problem: - One missed workout becomes two. - One slice of pizza becomes, “Well, the whole week is ruined, might as well eat the entire pizza.” - And suddenly you’re in a shame spiral powered by pepperoni. But perfection is a mirage. You chase it across the desert and wind up dehydrated, sunburned, and angry at yourself for not arriving. What actually works? Progress over perfection. A 20-minute walk beats zero minutes. Two balanced meals beat none. Fitness isn’t about a flawless report card, it’s about stacking small wins until they tip the scale in your favor. Why These Myths Kill Motivation Think about it: if you believe you have to destroy your body in every workout and eat like a monk with a kale fetish, how long are you realistically going to last? Not long. These myths create impossible standards. They set you up for failure before you even start, leaving you exhausted, discouraged, and ready to quit. And once motivation slips through your fingers, climbing back feels like trying to scale a greased rope. A Better Way Forward Here’s the good news: you don’t need perfection. You don’t need to suffer. You need consistency: the boring, unsexy, but incredibly powerful magic trick of fitness. - Missed a workout? Do the next one. - Ate more cake than planned? Drink some water, move your body, and move on. - Feeling sore? Listen to your body, stretch, and maybe swap that heavy lifting day for a walk or mobility session. Little by little, the small actions stack up. Think of them as bricks. One by itself doesn’t look like much. But keep stacking, and suddenly you’ve built a fortress strong enough to keep those nasty myths outside the gate. The Takeaway Fitness isn’t about chasing unicorns made of abs and kale. It’s about showing up, doing the work you can, and letting time and consistency work their magic. Helpful Tip: Next time you feel the urge to “start over Monday,” pause and ask: What’s one small action I can do today? It might be a 10-minute walk, a glass of water, or one set of push-ups. That one action is enough to break the myth’s spell. Because the truth is this: motivation doesn’t vanish because you’re lazy, it vanishes because you’ve been lied to. Stop believing the myths, and you’ll finally see how doable, sustainable, and yes—even enjoyable—fitness can be. When you're ready to make real, sustainable progress, click that "Book a Free Intro" button and we'll help.
