There are days when showing up for yourself feels easy and comes with lots of motivation. We know what we want. We have energy. The path ahead seems relatively clear, and taking the next step feels natural.
And then there are the other days.
Some days it is difficult to get motivated to do anything. On those days, just getting out of bed can be a win. Putting one foot in front of the other, back at the daily grind, may feel very heavy, and not very productive towards accomplishing goals and dreams.
The days when we question ourselves. When the goal feels too far away.
When the career change, business idea, book you want to write, health goal, or life transition feels bigger than our capacity to deal with it today.
I’ve had many of those days recently where multiple career opportunities I sought out resulted in a ‘no/rejection’ response. Sometimes recently there were multiple rejections in a single week, which sapped my motivation to continue.
Weeks turned into months without much progress towards some career and business goals, which also sapped my motivation even more.
But I still have a clear vision for my goals and destination.
And on those difficult, dark days, when motivation is missing altogether, and I struggle to keep going, I make a promise to myself to show up anyway.
Those may be the days when showing up matters most.
Showing up for yourself doesn’t mean accomplishing everything on your list. It doesn’t even mean feeling particularly motivated.
Sometimes it simply means refusing to abandon yourself because today is difficult.
On those days, the act of simply showing up, regardless of whether motivation is there or not, is a win. You are still in the game.
Motivation vs. Commitment
In these times, I suggest tapping into our curiosity to explore the distinction between motivation and commitment. Motivation fluctuates; showing up can be a choice independent of how energized we feel.
Motivation is an emotion-driven feeling that inspires us to do something.
Commitment is a deliberate decision to stick with a plan or path towards our goals even when the spark of motivation isn’t there.
Motivation gets you started and commitment keeps you going, even on those days when the excitement wears off. Commitment relies on routine, discipline, and habit to ensure you reach the finish line.
The source of motivation is emotions, rewards, or inspiration. The source of commitment is driven by values, discipline, and long-term goals.
To find commitment when motivation is missing, we need to shift our reliance on feelings to systems.
Commitment is not something you wait to feel; it is a structure you build.
In this newsletter series, “Showing Up for Yourself”, we will explore this in more detail to help each other tap into our commitment, even on those difficult days when motivation is low or doesn’t show up at all. We can still show up for ourselves.
Permission to Pause
We can also refer back to some previous newsletter content where I talk about my “Permission to Pause” philosophy: showing up does not always mean pushing harder. Sometimes the action is resting, reflecting, asking for help, making the phone call, opening the document, or spending ten minutes thinking about what comes next.
Referring to our discussions on Adaptability + Resilience:
Adaptability asks: Given the reality of today, what is possible?
Resilience asks: How can I stay connected to myself and what matters while navigating this difficulty?
Reader practice — The Showing Up Question: Answer the following question for yourself:
What would showing up for myself look like today?
Not this month. Not this year. Today.
Then choose one action small enough that resistance has less room to take over.
Closing thought:
You don’t have to conquer the mountain today. You just have to remain in relationship with the person who intends to climb it. Join me in this newsletter series to find our commitment to the journey and climb together.