Do You Need Motivation to Start… or Does Starting Create Motivation
I had this convo with a patient the other day that’s really stuck with me.
We were talking about rehab (as you do) and I said, kinda offhand,
“I reckon action creates motivation.”
She just looked at me and said,
“Hmm… I think it’s the other way around. I need to feel motivated before I can do anything.”
And honestly? I get it.
That’s a super common way of thinking. We all want to feel ready before we take action, right?
But in my experience, both in clinic and in real life... waiting for motivation? It's risky business. Because usually, that magical “I’m so motivated!” moment doesn’t come. Or if it does, it lasts about 3 days.
What I do see over and over again is this:
When people just start—tiny steps, nothing fancy—they build momentum. And once they start seeing even the smallest wins? That’s when the motivation kicks in. Not before.
But here’s the bit I want to be super clear about:
If you’ve struggled to take action, it’s not your fault.
Like… really. The way we deliver rehab in the health world is kinda broken.
We either give you:
A way-too-complex program with a million exercises and no clue what order to do them in
ORA super basic sheet with a few clams and bridges on it, and just hope for the best
No wonder people stop doing it.
No wonder we don’t get the results we want.
To make it worse, the second pain settles down a bit, most plans stop right there. No progression. No loading up. No push toward actually getting strong again.
But here’s the thing I want you to hear loud and clear:
Pain-free is not the end goal.
Pain-free is just the starting point.
We’ve got to look beyond it. We’ve got to keep building. Because if we don’t? That pain probably comes back. And I hate seeing that happen—especially when someone was so close to breaking the cycle.
So yeah… I’m standing by what I said.
Action creates motivation. Not the other way round.
But I’m curious—what do YOU think?
Do you wait to feel motivated before doing something hard?
Or have you found that taking action actually brings motivation?
Drop a comment or send me a message—I’d genuinely love to hear your take.
By the way...
If you’re ready to take action (even just a little), I’ve got ONE space opening for 12 weeks of 1-on-1 gym-based rehab with me – two sessions a week.
Perfect if you want to kickstart things properly, with support and a solid plan.
Not local or want a bit more flexibility? I’ve also got a few spaces for online programming coming up too. Same rehab goodness, just done from wherever you are.
Flick me a message if you want in.
Let’s stop waiting for motivation to show up—and just get started.
