Why Motivation Almost Cost Me My Business (and What Saved It)

If I had relied on motivation alone, I’d have lost my business.

A while ago, things got tough for me. One of those big, ugly waves that life naturally throws our way came crashing in.

I was fully booked, busy delivering my best to clients, and then the curveballs started flying.

I dropped my guard and let people into my life who drained my energy.

I invested in the wrong people.

I let negativity in.

I abandoned my healthy habits.

I overate the worst kind of food I could possibly find (yes, that kind of food).

I let people cross my boundaries around time and energy, and I let them fill my head with fear.

Then my body said, “That’s enough.”

I got sick in bed for a week. It took almost a month to feel like myself again.

To be honest, I didn’t just drop the ball. I kicked it as far away as I could.

Even my most powerful tool—self-hypnosis—was left collecting dust.

When I finally had enough energy to take a step back and assess the damage, I asked myself:

Where the hell is my motivation?

And I realised—it was never there.

Motivation is an unreliable friend. Lovely to have around, but it disappears right when you need it most.

So I started looking back at what actually kept me standing through that storm. What kept me from having to start from scratch?

It wasn’t motivation.

It was my systems.

My routines. My commitments.

Even in the middle of that chaos, I still showed up. I still created my content and posted it, even when I didn’t feel like it. I still kept my morning gratitude and meditation. I still showed up for my clients and my networking.

Why? Because my past self had made a list of non-negotiables—the things I would do no matter what.

Those systems kept me standing when my energy was gone and my motivation was hiding under the bed.

Motivation wasn’t by my side. But my systems were.

And that, right there, is the biggest lesson I’ve learned lately: If you want to keep your life together (and your sanity) through the tough times, don’t rely on motivation. Build systems. Build routines. Make commitments that future-you will thank you for.

Because the storms will come. And when they do, it’s not motivation that keeps you afloat—it’s the anchor you built when the waters were calm.

Tired of waiting for motivation to show up?

 Book your free call and let’s talk about building the kind of systems that keep you going no matter what.