Mood Follows Action: How to Build Momentum When Motivation Fails
Dolomites, Italy — Shakeout run ahead of a thunderstorm (that I didn’t quite avoid).
“If you wait until you feel ready, you’ll never start.”
The Myth of Motivation
We glorify motivation like it’s a magic switch — as if every meaningful act begins with a spark of inspiration.
It doesn’t.
Many days, the spark never comes. The real work begins when you move anyway.
When I was rebuilding my life, I didn’t wake up inspired. I woke up tired, uncertain, and often angry. But I had one rule: do something small that moves me forward.
That simple principle — mood follows action — rewired everything. Thank you Rich Roll.
Why Motivation Fails
Motivation is emotional energy. It fluctuates, burns hot, then vanishes.
It’s affected by sleep, diet, weather, and even your last notification.
Relying on it is like trying to trade on rumors instead of fundamentals.
Discipline, by contrast, is a system — stable, predictable, compoundable.
The Neuroscience of Action
Behavior drives emotion because action triggers feedback loops in your brain.
When you take a small step, even one push-up or a five-minute walk, your nervous system releases dopamine — not for achieving, but for pursuing.
That’s the trick:
Your brain rewards the pursuit, not the finish line.
This is why elite performers ritualize motion. They act first, feel second.
The action precedes the emotion. The movement precedes the meaning.
You’d never say, “Give me heat, and then I’ll light the fire”.
The System That Replaces Motivation
Here’s how to engineer consistency when you don’t feel it:
1. Lower the Bar until it’s repeatable
Set the minimum viable action.
If you plan to run 5 miles, make the rule: put on shoes, step outside.
If you make it to the end of the driveway and turnaround, fine — you’ve won. Most days, momentum takes it from there.
2. Stack Habits
Attach the new behavior to an existing one.
Do 10 air squats every time you stand up. Write one sentence after your morning coffee.
The context cues the behavior automatically.
3. Measure What Matters
Track the streak, not the scale. Don’t obsess over outputs — focus on inputs you can control.
Counting workouts, words written, or days of Wim breathing builds feedback and momentum. Each check mark reinforces identity: I’m someone who shows up.
When the data reflects consistency, motivation becomes irrelevant — because progress is already visible
…you are loved
