Good subject this one mate, and one I need to set the record straight with: you don’t need motivation to exercise.
That’s just a story the “motivation police” love to shove down your throat on Instagram.
Of course motivation’s nice to have, but no one—absolutely no one—is motivated 100% of the time.
Not me, not you, not even those “influencers” who post #NoExcuses while doing burpees at 5 AM.
So, what do you do on the days when motivation decides to stay in bed?
Motivation Is a Tool, Not the Key
Let’s think about motivation like money. My mam and dad always told me, “Money doesn’t grow on the bush in the garden.” Turns out they were right—and the same goes for motivation.
It’s not just lying around, waiting for you to grab it. You’ve got to get up, work for it and then you can use it as a tool.
Motivation is a by-product of positive action, not the starting point of taking positive action.
Waiting around for motivation to show up is like sitting in a parked car and expecting to get where you need to go.
You’ve got to turn the key and start driving—whether you feel like it or not.
Negative Visualisation: The Kick You Need
When you’re dragging your heels and exercise feels like the last thing on Earth you want to do, here’s my go-to strategy: Its called negative visualisation.
Here's how it works.
Step 1:
Sit still in a quiet space for 5 minutes.
Step 2:
Think about what happens if you keep skipping workouts. Visualise all the negative consequences in the short term, feeling sluggish, annoyed with yourself, and negative consequences in the long term, weight gain, declining health, feeling stuck in negative feedback loop from hell.
Step 3:
Ask yourself this: “Is this a road I want to continue down.”
Step 4:
Now flip it. Work through all the positive actions you could take to move away from all the negative outcomes you just visualised.
Step 5:
Now ask yourself this: “What’s the one thing I can do right now to make progress.”
When I’m struggling with exercise the one thing I can always do right now is simply drive to the gym. I just focus on getting there. To make it easier i've always got my gym bag packed and in the boot.
So when i'm struggling, all i have to do is drive to the gym. I don't have to mooch about the house looking for my gym gear and a towel.
I've taken away from myself the excuses not to go.
Once i’m there it’s easy.
The more I practiced negative visualisation, the quicker the process happened, and soon enough it became second nature.
This is how you can regain some control of your life—by focusing on the controllable: The one thing you can do right now to make progress.
It’s always a positive action you can take and one that you 100% control.
Negative visualisation is powerful man, It’s one of the strategies I use to keep myself clean and sober for coming up 4 and a half years now.
So I know that it can help you get your arse moving.
Try it today.
Action Beats Motivation Every Time
Once you’ve completed the Negative Visualisation exercise, you take the positive action you need, even when you’re not “motivated” to do it.
Positive action does more than just get the job done.
It builds momentum.
And momentum is the real agent of change for me, its the twin turbo of getting shit done.
Here’s how the cycle goes:
Positive action builds inspiration, which fuels momentum. Momentum generates more positive action, builds stronger inspiration and a freight train of momentum.
Over time, this Positive Feedback Loop of Getting Shit Done turns positive action into habit and habit into discipline.
And discipline doesn’t care about motivation. it's got no time for it.—Discipline gets the job done.
How to Take Positive Action When Motivation Lets You Down.
Here are a couple of strategies that have worked for me when I’ve struggled:
1. Start Small and Build From There
Take the smallest, easiest step forward.
Something you know you can do.
Even if it’s just a walk in the fresh air that morning.
When I’m having one of my “I can’t be arsed” days, I get myself up, dressed, drive to the gym and start my warm-up with my bands. After 8-10 minutes, I’m ready to tackle my planned workout.
And even on the worst days, if I can’t bring myself to lift, I’ll still do 35-45 minutes of cardio.
The smallest step forward is always better than doing nothing or taking the smallest strep back—and it stops me from getting pissed off with myself, sitting in guilt and self-sabotaging with a pizza and carrot cake.
2. Get a Dog
I know this one’s a big commitment, but hear me out.
Here’s my boy’s —my best mate’s. We got Buddy not long after rehab, and Brody was a happy accident. But let me tell you, these little dick heads have been two of the reasons I’m still breathing.
They always need a walk, which means I’m always walking. And you know what? I’ve never regretted a single one of those walks.
3. Join a Team or Club
Exercise doesn’t always have to be about solo gym sessions and grinding it out on your own.
Sometimes, the best way to keep showing up is to surround yourself with people who make it fun.
Whether it’s joining a local football team, a running club, a CrossFit box, or even a weekly five-a-side match with your mates, being part of something bigger than yourself creates built-in accountability and makes the whole process enjoyable.
Think about it:
You’re not just exercising—you’re turning up for your team.
You’re getting that competitive spark back, even if you haven’t seen it since Year 11 PE.
And let’s be honest—there’s nothing better than a post-game pint or a laugh with your mates after you’ve put a shift in.
You don’t need to be an athlete or “in shape” to get started.
Most teams and clubs welcome all levels because they’re about the social connection as much as the training.
The endorphin rush is real when you’re working toward a shared goal.
Get out there and find a club that suits you. It could be running, swimming, netball, or even hiking groups—whatever gets you moving and keeps you coming back.
4. Find an Accountability Partner (or Three)
Accountability is a granite pillar of progress. When you’ve got someone relying on you, swerving workouts becomes a hell of a lot harder mate.
Here’s what I mean:
Training Partner: Find someone who shares your goals, whether it’s a mate, your other half, or someone at work. Knowing they’re waiting for you makes it easier to lace up your trainers and get moving—even when you’re knackered.
Accountability Partner: This can be as simple as sending a message to a mate after every workout. “Gym done. I’m back on it.” It’s quick, simple, and it works.
Coach: Sometimes you need someone who’ll push you, call you out on your excuses, and help you hit progress targets. A coach doesn’t just hold you accountable—they give you a framework to build your habits and disciplines around, lessons to learn, they teach you on your health education so you can stop overthinking, know what works for you and how to roll with the punches so you just get on with it, for the rest of your life. A great coach will teach you how to take care of your shit forever.
Here’s the magic: when you bring in accountability, it’s another layer of separation from motivation.
You rely on commitment.
Your training partner expects you to show up. Your coach has a plan in place. And suddenly, you’re not just doing it for yourself—you’re doing it because you’ve made a promise to someone else.
Can’t find a partner? Pay for a class. Employ a coach, even book a block of personal training sessions to get you through a rough patch or Join an online training group.
There’s always someone out there who’s ready to show up with you or for you.
Because let’s face it: it’s harder to let someone else down than it is to let yourself down.
What The Point Of All This?
You don’t need motivation to take positive action.
But when you take that positive action, It doesn’t matter how small, you create your own inspiration and build unstoppable momentum.
And that momentum? It’s what transforms exercising into a habit, habits into discipline, and motivation, that lazy, flaky fucker doesn’t get a say anymore.
Positive Action = Inspiration = Momentum = More Positive Action = More Inspiration = Stronger Momentum...
This is The Positive Feedback Loop of Getting Shit Done.
And as The Positive Feedback Loop of Getting Shit Done sweeps you up, you develop new, productive habits, and as you practice your new productive habits, over time they morph into discipline.
And with discipline you're unstoppable.
So mate, next time motivation decides to stay in bed, don’t wait around for the prick. Get moving, even if it’s just a little.
Your future self will thank you for it mate.
The Takeaway
Here’s what Step 9: Part 2 boils down to:
Motivation isn’t the starting point—positive action is. Stop waiting for motivation to show up and start taking small steps forward.
Negative visualisation works. Imagine the negative consequences of skipping workouts and the benefits of taking positive action.
Positive action fosters inspiration, inspiration builds momentum, momentum creates habits and habits forges discipline. Once discipline takes over, positive habits keep you moving—you don’t need to “feel like it” anymore, you just do it.
Start small. A short walk or light cardio can be enough to break through the funk.
Leverage your environment. Whether it’s a dog that needs walking, getting yourself to your running club, 5-a-side game or Personal Training Session, or like me It might be just driving to the gym. They all create triggers that make positive action easier.
Progress mate, It’s not about being perfect every day—it’s about consistently showing up and giving your best.
Your workouts on a Monday might be more productive than what you get through on a Friday. But as long as you show up and give your best, you can look in the mirror when you’re brushing your pegs before bed and give yourself a nod that you did everything you could that day.
And this my mate breeds incredible self-belief, peace of mind and mental resilience.
If you want to read more on The Motivation Myth, and how to make sure you’re never sat waiting around for motivation to strike. click the button below and give my article a read.
If not, no danger, again no quiz on Part 2, so jump over to part 3.
The Story
Feeling stuck? It’s not your fault—it’s the motivation trap. The article Feeling Stuck: Here's Why Motivation Keeps You There breaks down why waiting to "feel motivated" is keeping you from real progress. You'll learn how to shift your mindset, build unshakable mental resilience, and take control of your health and weight loss—without relying on fleeting bursts of inspiration.
If you’re tired of stop-start cycles and want lasting results, this is the wake-up call you need. Read it now and take back control.
The Problem
Waiting for motivation is like waiting for a bus that never shows up. The longer you sit idle, the harder it gets to take action. Physically, this leads to sluggish energy, weight gain, and declining fitness. Mentally, it fuels frustration, self-doubt, and the never-ending cycle of “I’ll start tomorrow.”