Episode 227: Momentum Over Motivation: The Art of Doing It Anyway

Send us Fan MailSacha appears in full Jedi regalia (aka her dressing gown) because house staging has banished all her warm clothes to boxes in the attic, while fake dried flowers now populate her formerly book-filled shelves. From this perfectly timed example of "not feeling it" comes a conversation about practical strategies for showing up when motivation has completely abandoned ship.Main TopicsThe Normalcy of Not Feeling It -- Why successful people aren't perpetually motivated machines, they're just better at doing things when they don't want to, and why we need that mythical extra day "between all the days" to recover and prepareRoot Cause Analysis -- Looking beyond the immediate lack of motivation to identify if you're bored (need challenge), overwhelmed (everything feels big), or physically depleted (treating yourself worse than you'd treat a puppy)The Puppy vs. Self-Care Test -- Would you feed a dog energy drinks instead of water, wake it up randomly at night, and give it no exercise? Then why do we do this to ourselves and expect peak performance?The Peanut Slab Public Accountability ExperimentSacha's declaration to Christchurch real estate agents that she won't eat peanut slabs until Christmas has created an army of supermarket surveillance. The power of public commitment means she's not even tempted because "the earth gives us peanuts" logic no longer applies when your entire professional network is watching.Key Strategies When Motivation is MIAShrink the task to the smallest possible step that builds momentumAnchor to purpose - remind yourself why this matters beyond the immediate painCreate external accountability (mobilise entire industries if necessary)Change your state - lie on the floor for 10 minutes, walk around, dance nakedReward effort, not just outcomes, and build positive momentumVisit our website: notsobreakfastshow.comIf you haven’t come across it yet, Working Genius is one of the simplest, most practical models I’ve seen for helping teams understand how they actually get work done. Not personality. Not fluff. Just clarity on where people thrive — and where they get frustrated. If you’re planning your next team day, offsite, or work event, I’d love to bring this to your crew. Find out more at IshCheyne.com