Action Before Motivation. Every Time.

If you wait until you feel motivated to work out, to work, to parent your kids well, to create, to write newsletters, to take big action, to learn something new, or to fully engage with your life, your actions will be dictated more by your moods and whims instead of your intellect.

That's how we stay the people we default to instead of evolving into the people we want to become.

(My three-year-old son is an elite status member of the whims and moods club btw, so let me know if you want any tips.)

Action comes first. Motivation comes after. Not the other way around.

I think it's important to mention this because our culture sells us this idea that motivation is what unlocks action. Like somewhere out there is a magical fount of readiness, clarity, inspiration, and confidence — and once we finally tap into it, everything will click into place.

But that's just not true. (Ok maybe with psychedelics it’s true? Not my area of expertise.)

This motivation-before-action idea is a belief we've universally adopted when the reality is actually the exact opposite.

Kind of like how all romantic comedies end right when the relationship begins — which I think has set a lot of people up to believe relationships, once established, should be easy.

Nope.

The beginning is the high. The relationship itself is the work. And the reward.

Motivation works the same way.

It's The Best when motivation strikes — a natural high. The feeling is euphoric, energizing, clarifying. You feel inspired and capable. Like you could become an entirely new person overnight.

But highs are temporary by nature. And temporary emotional states do not change your life.

What changes your life is what you choose, over and over again, every single day.

No matter how tired you are. No matter how shitty you feel. No matter how badly you'd prefer to numb out (scrolling, shopping, etc).

Choosing to make your food from scratch. Choosing to exercise regularly. Choosing to read a book instead of scroll. Choosing to take the walk. Choosing to send the email. Choosing to make the ask or reach out. Choosing to begin.

Again and again if you have to.

Those small decisions compound.

And after a while, these small choices allow us to look back and realize how far we've actually moved forward.

But the opposite compounds too.

Let's say you find yourself stuck — emotionally, physically, creatively, professionally, whatever — and instead of moving forward, you retreat. 

You withdraw. And in that withdrawal, you stop experiencing progress, connection, momentum, reward. The deeper you get, the heavier everything feels.

So instead of acting, you ruminate. You think, you worry, you analyze, you plan — because thinking about something feels like doing something.

It's not.

Here's the fix:

Answer one question. What's the first step? Just that. Don’t think about the whole picture. That single shift moves your brain out of your fear center and into your problem-solving prefrontal cortex. Neuroplasticity in real time.

Think of the first step. Then the next right step. Then the next. That’s literally the whole plan.

Your brain and body respond to movement — both literally and figuratively.

Energy will show up for you on the other side of the action you take. Not before it.

Do you have ten minutes? Cool! Here's a quick ten-minute workout from the first class in Butt Camp — it's free.

Don't overthink it. Don't wait until you've mapped out your entire life transformation and planned all your workouts before you begin. Do it as many times as you want.

And if you want more, do the free 14-day trial and complete the full Butt Camp series.

Momentum creates momentum.

XO,