Today I want to tackle the challenge of sustaining long-term motivation.

Many of us experience bursts of motivation at the start of a new project or goal, but struggle to maintain that drive over time. We’ll explore why motivation tends to wane and look at some strategies you can use on a daily basis to keep it consistent.

When you’re consistently motivated you’re more likely to make steady, incremental progress towards your goals. You develop the resilience needed to push through challenges and setbacks without them derailing your efforts. On the other hand, failing to stay motivated can result in you pushing through without passion—leading to feelings of failure, stress, and worse—a decline in overall well-being.

One of the worst things you can do to maintain motivation is focus solely on the final outcome. This makes the journey feel long and discouraging. Without celebrating small wins or enjoying the process, motivation fades as the goal seems further and further away. It’s also important to understand that motivation won’t always be at its peak. Motivation naturally dips, and that’s completely normal.

So, instead of interpreting these dips in motivation as failure or lack of commitment, let’s take a look at some ways we can recognise, and keep the motivation to push ourselves on a daily basis.

01 Keep an open mind

The spontaneous decision to quit my job in 2020 helped reignite my passion for design after falling out of love with it.

I’d hit my limit and couldn’t envision a way forward. I was even considering a complete career change. But the challenge of leaving the security of full-time employment, starting my own business, and taking ownership of my life served as motivation to keep pushing forward.

I remember feeling a remarkable sense of freedom and ownership over my life, and in those moments knew I had to keep doing this.

02 Enjoyment is key to motivation

When you do something because you love it and don’t expect anything from it, that’s when motivation naturally grows.

Starting my own business was new and everything felt different and exciting. I found the time to push myself to the limit, both mentally and physically, and became more motivated than ever to improve. Building a brand for a like-minded client didn’t feel like work, and I discovered that daily enjoyment could ultimately lead to success.

03 Detachment from the outcome

The more you focus on (and enjoy) the process the less pressure there is.

I used to put a lot of emphasis on the final outcome. But this only left me feeling exhausted and frustrated with my progress. Not only that, I was often relying on external incentives to fuel my motivation (like money). And when you’re in it for money alone, it’s very hard to maintain long-term.

Of course I want to do well, but it’s liberating when you realise: what does it matter what the outcome is.

04 More is not better

Earlier on in my business, I never believed I’d done enough during my day. Even if my mind was at breaking point.

It’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve allowed myself to relax more frequently and embrace rest and recreation. There’s only so much you can do in one day, you can’t achieve everything.

By becoming better and listening to my mind and body and knowing when I’ve reached my limit, I’ve been able to maintain motivation over longer periods of time.

In Conclusion

In the end, maintaining long-term motivation is all about balance.

It’s normal for motivation to ebb and flow, but by staying open to new experiences, finding enjoyment in the process, and allowing yourself to rest, you can keep moving forward without burning out.

Remember, it’s not always about pushing harder or doing more—it’s about finding what keeps you genuinely motivated over time. Celebrate the small wins, stay flexible, and trust that steady progress will get you where you want to go.

That’s it for this one.

See you next week :)

Josh