Jul 10, 2026 · 21 min · 11 segments
If you've ever thought "I just need more motivation" or "I need more willpower," this episode is for you. The truth is, motivation is unreliable, willpower is a limited resource that runs out by the…
I'd like to start this episode with a question I hear in some version all the time, in my clinic, in my program, and in my inbox.
How do I make myself do the thing when I just don't feel like doing it? How do I exercise when I'm exhausted? How do I reach for fruit instead of chocolate at the end of a long day? How do I put my phone down and actually go to sleep on time? How do I find time to make healthy meals when ordering takeout is so much easier during the week? How do I do any of this consistently when the motivation just isn't there? Well, here's my honest answer, the one that's been backed up by decades of psychology and behavioral science research.
You don't wait for motivation, because if you do, you're going to be waiting a long time.
Once you understand that, a lot of what used to feel like personal failure starts to look like something else entirely, a solvable problem.
We have this deeply ingrained belief that motivation is a feeling that arrives first, and then action follows.
You feel inspired, you lace up your shoes, you go for a run, or you feel energized, you...
Psychologist and clinical researcher Peter Lewinsohn developed a concept in the 1970s called behavioral activation.
When you're stuck feeling apathetic or feeling low, waiting to feel better before you do something often makes things worse.
You need to start, and then the motivation, the energy, and the sense of accomplishment tend to follow.
I'd like to start this episode with a question I hear in some version all the time, in my clinic, in my program, and in my inbox.
How do I make myself do the thing when I just don't feel like doing it? How do I exercise when I'm exhausted? How do I reach for fruit instead of chocolate at the end of a long day? How do I put my phone down and actually go to sleep on time? How do I find time to make healthy meals when ordering takeout is so much easier during the week? How do I do any of this consistently when the motivation just isn't there? Well, here's my honest answer, the one that's been backed up by decades of psychology and behavioral science research.
You don't wait for motivation, because if you do, you're going to be waiting a long time.
Once you understand that, a lot of what used to feel like personal failure starts to look like something else entirely, a solvable problem.
We have this deeply ingrained belief that motivation is a feeling that arrives first, and then action follows.
You feel inspired, you lace up your shoes, you go for a run, or you feel energized, you...
Psychologist and clinical researcher Peter Lewinsohn developed a concept in the 1970s called behavioral activation.
When you're stuck feeling apathetic or feeling low, waiting to feel better before you do something often makes things worse.
You need to start, and then the motivation, the energy, and the sense of accomplishment tend to follow.
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