---
title: Stop Waiting to Feel Motivated
description: Motivation is overrated. Learn how 30 years of competitive cycling taught me that small daily habits—not willpower—are the real secret to lasting success.
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---

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 November 09, 2026

# Stop Waiting to Feel Motivated

[By Jens Nielsen](https://jensnielsen.us/blog/author/by-jens-nielsen)

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Motivation is overrated. I would not have raced bicycles competitively for 30 years if I had relied on motivation alone. Instead, I understood early on that I had to build strong habits to sustain my desire to be a competitive cyclist.

What I instinctively understood three decades ago has continued to serve me in so many areas of my life. There have been many times when I didn’t feel like completing another training session, but my habits and identity compelled me to do the work.

So when people ask me how to become more motivated to take action, I completely understand where they are coming from. But I always explain that motivation isn't the answer. We have to create better habits.

The biggest mistake that people make is that they try to overhaul their entire lives and fail after a few weeks. We all know that most New Year's resolutions don’t last very long. And, we shouldn’t wait until an arbitrary date on the calendar to make changes.

When I work with clients who want to make changes in their lives, we start by identifying one area where a small change could make a big difference.

To illustrate, let’s focus on improving our physical health and apply this three-step method for building lasting habits:

**Step 1: Attach the new habit to an existing one**

Use habit stacking. Connect a new behavior to something you already do automatically.

Example: After brushing your teeth in the morning, roll out your yoga mat.

This removes the need to remember when to do it.

 

**Step 2: Make the habit almost ridiculously small**

Start with a version so easy that resistance is minimal.

Example: Commit to doing just one sun salutation. You can always do more, but one is enough to count as success.

The initial goal isn't impressive performance. It's showing up consistently.

 

**Step 3: Celebrate every successful repetition**

Recognize the completion of your habit, even if the action was tiny. Simply congratulate yourself for showing up.

Celebrating helps create a positive association with the behavior and builds self-trust.

Once we have added a few daily habits that move us towards the changes we want, we will notice another benefit: better habits change how we see ourselves. This creates a reinforcing cycle:

- Identity: I want to be someone who takes care of my health.
- Behavior: I move my body every day.
- Evidence: I consistently follow through.
- Stronger identity: I am someone who takes care of my health.

Over time, these small actions strengthen our identity, making it easier to follow through even when motivation is missing.

What is ONE small habit you could start tomorrow that would move you closer to the person you want to become?

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