Level Up with Coach M - Edition 6 - Motivation Is Cute. Habits Get Results.

Some days people ask me how I’ve managed to hit what looks like a home run when it comes to keeping the habit of daily movement going. How I stay consistent. How I “never fall off.” How I stay motivated.

And here’s the surprise—motivation is the very last thing I rely on.

Trust me, if motivation was required, I would hands down be the laziest person on earth. I am not naturally disciplined, I don’t wake up bursting with energy, and I definitely don’t feel inspired every single day. What I do have are sustainable habits, built slowly, one day at a time. Habits that help me feel better in my body, manage my schedule without chaos, and move through life with more energy instead of constantly running on empty.

Daily movement didn’t just become something I do because I love it every day. It became something I do because it makes my life easier. I plan for it. I schedule it. I remove the need to decide whether I feel like it or not. And on the days when motivation is nowhere to be found—which is often—those habits quietly carry me through.

Motivation is amazing. Motivation is bold. Confident. Slightly delusional.

Motivation usually shows up late at night when you’re lying in bed thinking, “Tomorrow I’m getting my life together.”  You’re waking up early. You’re training.

You’re meal prepping. You’re organised. Calm. Hydrated. Thriving.

Motivation has big dreams.

And then the alarm goes off.

Suddenly the bed is warmer than your goals, your body feels heavier than your intentions, and your brain starts negotiating like a seasoned lawyer. “I’ll train later.” “Rest days are important.” “I’ll just start again tomorrow.”

Motivation doesn’t disappear because you’re lazy. It fades because it was never built to survive real life.

Motivation is an emotion. It’s excitement and inspiration. It depends entirely on how you feel in the moment—and feelings change. Energy dips. Stress rises. Kids get sick. Work explodes. Life shows up uninvited and loud.

By Wednesday, motivation has usually left the chat.

And that’s where most people get stuck. They think something is wrong with them. They tell themselves they lack discipline, that they’re inconsistent, that they just need to “try harder.”

But discipline isn’t what people think it is.

Discipline isn’t being tough on yourself or grinding through misery. Discipline isn’t punishment. Discipline is simply what happens after motivation leaves. And here’s the part no one says out loud: discipline is not something you’re born with.

It’s something you build.

People love to believe that some humans are just naturally disciplined, as if they were issued a special personality trait the rest of us missed out on. The truth is far less dramatic. Disciplined people aren’t special. They’ve just repeated the same small actions so many times that they no longer require effort.

They have habits.

Habits don’t need motivation. They don’t care how you feel. They don’t wait for the perfect moment. They just quietly do the thing.

You don’t wake up motivated to brush your teeth. You don’t debate whether you should put your seatbelt on. You don’t need a motivational speech to make coffee in the morning. You do those things because they’re automatic. Normal. Non-negotiable.

Imagine if your training, your eating, and your daily routines worked the same way.

Most people rely on motivation to decide what to eat, when to train, and how to manage their time. That’s a risky strategy, especially when you’re tired and hungry. Because tired people make terrible decisions. Hungry people make worse ones.

That’s why habits matter. Planning matters. Systems matter.

When food is already planned, you don’t need willpower at dinner time. When training is in your diary, it’s not optional—it’s just part of the day. When clothes are laid out, lunch is packed, and decisions are made ahead of time, life feels lighter. Not easier—but simpler.

And simple is sustainable.

This is where most people go wrong. They believe progress requires intensity, perfection, and relentless effort. They chase harder workouts, stricter plans, and all-or-nothing thinking. And it works—briefly. Until it doesn’t.

Because if your plan only works on good days, it’s not a plan. It’s a wish.

Real progress is built on boring consistency. On showing up when you’re tired. On doing the minimum on hard days instead of nothing at all. On making things easy enough that you keep going.

Motivation might get you started. But habits are what carry you forward. And every time you repeat a habit—especially when you don’t feel like it—you’re building discipline without even trying.

That’s the quiet power of habits. They don’t shout. They don’t impress. But they work.

So stop waiting for the perfect mood, the perfect week, or the perfect version of yourself. Build habits that work in the mess. Build habits that survive stress, fatigue, and real life. Build those habits one day at a time sustainably and daily

Because results—real, lasting results in anything—aren’t built by motivation.

They’re built by habits.

Unapologetically. Repeatedly. Over time.