The Science of Motivation: How to Stay Inspired & Reach Your Goals
Ever wonder about the science of motivation and how to stay inspired and reach your goals? If you are tired of losing momentum and feeling stuck in “Groundhog’s Day” without feeling like you are moving closer to your next level goals and dreams, then this article is PERFECT for you!
Happy New Year! I’m writing this in February 2025. I took a little hiatus in January to sell my home and move. It was my biggest vision board manifestation that I desperately dreamed about.
I’m now on the other side of that chaos and getting rooted into new routines, my new beautiful home, and all the amazing amenities my new community offers.
One of the hardest things to do is manifest what you desire. It’s easy to dream and to have a vision, but it’s another story to actually make it happen – to stay motivated, consistently do new actions and habits, maintain the belief that it’s possible.
It’s easy to fall back into old routines or see how it won’t happen, than it is to really make the switch.
We’ve all been there—starting a goal with excitement and energy, only to lose momentum a few weeks in. Whether it’s launching a business, sticking to a morning routine, or pursuing a personal dream, motivation can feel like an unreliable friend—it shows up strong at first but disappears when things get hard.
So what do you do to stay motivated and excited about your goals and visions? How do some people manifest what they desire and others struggle to make it happen?
Here’s the truth: motivation isn’t about willpower or waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s a skill you can build. As a coach, I believe motivation comes from aligning your goals with who you are, creating small wins that build momentum, and designing habits that keep you moving forward—even when you don’t feel like it.
In this article, we’ll dive into the science of motivation and practical ways to stay inspired and committed to your goals, even when life gets in the way.
Remember, dreams don’t expire. How fast they transpire depends on how consistently you are committed to them, setting the intention to make small habits and shifts each day, and believe that it’s possible.
Let’s dive in some powerful tips to keep you going…
1. Understanding Motivation: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
Did you know there are TWO types of motivation and how much weight you give to each matters in how you move forward, the actions you take and how aligned you stay towards what you desire?
- Intrinsic motivation comes from within. It’s when you’re driven by passion, purpose, or personal fulfillment. An example of intrinsic motivators is writing because you love to express yourself or starting a business because you believe in the impact you can make. This one brings it’s own FUEL. When you have a powerful WHY and you are excited about what you are creating in your life, you keep waking up each day ready to work towards it, you don’t give up when you hit s snag or roadblock. This motivation is powerful which is why you want to choose goals and dreams that come from your heart and soul.
- Extrinsic motivation comes from external rewards. An example of extrinsic motivation is earning money or getting recognition, or receiving praise from others. There is nothing wrong with this type of motivation, but it doesn’t pack the same punch. With Extrinsic motivators, you may lose momentum when results don’t come fast enough. Also, external rewards don’t have a lasting effect. They are short moments in time. So when you achieve your goal the FEELING and celebration doesn’t last long.
This is why when working with my clients I focus a lot of attention on making sure their goals align with what truly matters to them, so that they continue to show up and do the work everyday and commit to finding solutions and seeing results.
2. The Psychology of Staying Motivated
Yep, it doesn’t always come easily. We are human and we have “off” days. Days we dont want to show up, where we want to sleep late, where we want to watch movies and eat chips instead.
And no, there is nothing wrong with downtime, and slowing down. In fact is is HEALTH to maintain motivation. Motivation will ebb and flow and there is an art to knowing when to show up anyway and when to rest and take a break.
You don’t want to resent your dream because you start to not enjoy it.
Here are some doable tips that will help you stay motivated more consistently.
The Dopamine Effect: How Small Wins Create Momentum
We all know how it feels to celebrate the big successes – graduation, birthday milestones, weddings, new baby, new job, new car, new home, moving to a new city or country. We know what those feel like. But, we can have the same chemical reaction when we celebrate even small successes.
Dopamine is the brain’s “feel-good” chemical, and it gets released when you experience small successes. This is why celebrating progress—no matter how small—is crucial. Instead of focusing only on big wins, I encourage my clients to track micro-wins daily. Whether it’s writing one page, showing up on social media once, or checking off a to-do list item, small actions create a sense of accomplishment that keeps you going.
It’s not about “look how far I still have to go to get there,” it’s more motivational and fueling to look and see how far you’ve come, what you’ve learned, what you’ve created so far. That “i’m so proud of myself” feeling is will have you feeling unstoppable. It’s an immediate confidence boost. Making you want to get up and keep going.
The Habit Loop: Why Habits Matter More Than Motivation
I don’t think we pay as much attention on habit formation as we should be doing. Let’s be honest – reality is: motivation fluctuates, but habits create consistency. When you rely only on motivation, you’ll struggle to stay committed on days you don’t feel inspired. Instead, I teach my clients to focus on building habits that support their ambitious goals. For example, instead of saying, “I need to feel motivated to work on my business,” reframe it to, “I work on my business every morning at 9 AM—no matter how I feel.”
You need to look at your goals and identify the habits that will lead you to those goals. These are usually new consistent habits. For instance if you want to start strength trainings and build muscle tone, you are NOT going to be motivated to go to the gym everyday. Instead, you need to SCHEDULE in that habit.
Keep it simple. I also always have my clients play a little mindset trick on themselves and say, “I just need to commit to this for 90 days.” It gives you enough time to build the habit, get over fears and discomfort with taking new actions ( Like being afraid to go to a gym, learn the equipment, feel like a fish out of water.)
Habits take time to build, but they if they are aligned habits, they will lead to where you desire to go.
The Power of Identity: Shifting From “I Want to Do This” to “I Am This”
One of the biggest mindset shifts for staying motivated is adopting the identity of the person who already has the success you want. Instead of saying, “I want to be a confident entrepreneur,” shift it to, “I am a confident entrepreneur, and I show up that way every day.” When you see yourself as the type of person who takes action, staying committed becomes second nature.
I call this the BECOMING method. You have to BECOME the person who has what he/she desires. It’s a process. It takes new habits, new beliefs, new thought patterns. It takes you stepping into that next level confidence and to get comfortable doing things that may have been daunting or scary before you embarked on this journey.
3. How to Stay Inspired When Motivation Fades
Reconnect with Your ‘Why’
When you lose motivation, it’s often because you’ve disconnected from the deeper reason behind your goal. I always ask my clients: Why does this goal matter to you? And then—Why does that matter? Keep digging until you find an emotional connection that truly fuels you. Your WHY will encourage you to work through the overwhelm, and push through the “hard” moments.
Your why gives each action a sense of purpose. It means that what you are going for is aligned with your personal values. Your actions will have more meaning for you than just achieving a goal. It will bring you a sense of accomplishment and personal satisfaction not because you simply achieved it, but because it is aligning with your heart and soul desires.
Your path to where you desire to go isn’t going to be easy or smooth. You are going to hit many road bumps, detours, and delays along the way. You need the right “fuel” to keep you going and your WHY is that motivation. You need to have that driving force to keep you motivated and moving forward!
Use Visual Cues
Your environment impacts your motivation more than you realize. Having a vision board, sticky notes with affirmations, or even a simple reminder on your phone can trigger motivation when you need it most.
If you see your goals daily, they stay top of mind. I am all about vision boards. I currently have mine on my computer wallpaper. I use my computer everyday so I see it multiple times per day reminding me of what I am working towards.
That little voice in my head asks me “ are you taking actions to get there or are you having a shiny object moment? Let’s get back on track.” That’s when i revisit my to- do list and and strategy for the day/week. Here is a link to a Vision Board Workbook to get you started.
Accountability & Support
Motivation thrives in the right environment, a supportive environment. Having an accountability partner, coach, or community of like-minded individuals keeps you committed because someone is expecting you to follow through.
When my clients start doubting themselves, I remind them: You don’t have to do this alone—let’s build a support system around you. Book a free 30 minute Momentum call and let’s create a plan for you to get the accountability, support, and coaching you need to make big leaps forward.
Celebrate Small Wins
I always encourage my clients to acknowledge their progress instead of waiting for the big achievement. Did you take one small step today? That’s a win! Did you learn a new skill? That’s something to celebrate! Too often, we dismiss small progress as “not enough,” but small actions lead to big results over time. Find a way to celebrate the small victories.
Maybe get a jar and write down every time you hit a new milestone, learned something new, made something happen, accomplished something that stretched you or that was new for you. Then place those pieces of paper in the jar to look at when you are feeling defeated, behind, or not where you desire to be. This will help you focus on the growth!
4. Strategies to Stay Committed to Your Goals
Set Process-Based Goals, Not Just Outcome Goals
Instead of focusing solely on the end result (e.g., “I want to make six figures”), break it down into process goals (e.g., “I will reach out to five potential clients per week” or “I will post one blog every Monday”). Focusing on the process keeps you motivated even when results take time.
Big long-term goals can feel daunting and you’ll find yourself constantly measuring every action against if you’ve reached that big goal, always kind of feeling deflated. Instead, take that big goal and break it down into smaller actionable strategies and daily action items.
Map it out so that the action will lead to that big goal. Then all you have to do each day or week is to focus on those smaller tasks. When you break tasks down into more manageable, small steps, it’ll keep you motivated and feel like it’s all doable to reach than loftier goal.
Remember the saying – KISS (Keep It Simple, Sweetie!) Break the bigger vision down into simple steps and before you know it you will be closer to achieving your goals that you realized.
Create a motivational ritual
A simple pre-work routine can signal your brain that it’s time to focus. Whether it’s making a cup of tea, listening to an empowering song, or journaling for five minutes, creating a personal motivation ritual helps you shift into action mode. Set the mood for your day. Set yourself up for success. Here is a simple daily reflections journal page that will set you up for a strong mindset to lead your day.
Also, make sure you are mapping out your day so you stay focused and limit the overwhelm. This’ll help you know how you need to lead yourself each day.
Track Progress in a Meaningful Way
Motivation grows when you see tangible progress. I often recommend my clients use a habit tracker, journal, or even a simple checklist to reflect on how far they’ve come. Seeing your progress in black and white can reignite motivation when you feel stuck. Here is the BECOMING quarterly journal and planner. This will help you stay on track, stay organized, map out your action items, and includes guided daily journaling reflections.
Plan for Setbacks & Keep Going
Motivation dips are normal, but what matters is how you respond. Instead of seeing setbacks as failures, view them as part of the process. Ask yourself: “What can I learn from this? How can I get back on track?” The key to long-term success isn’t perfection—it’s resilience.
This is a game changer when it comes to getting to where you desire to go and who you desire to become. Set-backs are just that. They are just set-backs. They don’t mean anything about what you are capable of or if you will get to where you desire to be.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so embody the mindset that you are always learning and growing.
Here is a great The Journal article around adopting a growth mindset. When you can adopt this mindset, you’ll sail forward with more ease and less friction.
Conclusion & Call to Action
Motivation isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you create. By understanding the science behind motivation, building habits that support your goals, and designing an environment that keeps you inspired, you’ll stay committed even when challenges arise.
So, which of these strategies will you implement today?
If you’re ready to take your motivation to the next level, download my free Daily Habit Track for Entrepreneur Success to keep yourself on track!
Download the Daily Habit Tracker to help you stay motivated and taking consistent action towards your 2025 goals and dreams. Also, check out THE JOURNAL article: 7 powerful daily habits for entrepreneur success for more guidance on how to step into your vision board vision each and everyday!
Next Steps
If you are ready to create your own unique approach to staying motivated and creating an aligned mindset, strategy and roadmap to your goals, check out BREAKTHOUGH or sign up for a free 30 minute momentum call today.
It’s time to stop sitting on the sidelines and start seeing the results you desire!
