I currently see lots of posts about happy family outings, walks on the beach and barbecues and I admit: I love this summer atmosphere (albeit without the heat records) because it gives me a feeling of harmony and relaxation. I like to be taken back to the nostalgic world of my childhood memories, enjoy every ice cream sin I can find and am happy when I stroll through the park with my favorite people around me, relaxed and we give each other the most precious thing we have: Our time.

I took a walk in the park like this with my best friend last week. We have known each other for 20 years and yet we are always discovering new facets of each other, especially when our lives change. For her, such a (new) phase of change began with the construction of her house and the birth of her daughter, for me with the move to Cologne (back in my dream city after 25 years!) and the founding of my two companies.

As we continue our walk in the shade of the trees and enjoy the light summer breeze, our conversation ripples along and I admit that it was only after about 15 minutes that I realized how dazed she was looking at me while I was completely lost in my story. After I asked if something was wrong, she simply replied: “I admire the fact that you have the strength and motivation to work in your free time and throw yourself into new projects. I wish I could do the same after work (and subsequent care work).”

What sounds like a scene from a self-discovery novel is actually a conversation that we have not had for the first time, as she has already said the same thing to me at other stages of my life. Her words once again stuck with me, because I believe that there are some misunderstandings about “motivation” and “success” that I would like to address below.

I mean, honestly, how often have you thought: “I just have to be motivated enough, then I’ll get started!”?

The consequence is often “avoidance strategies” that we impose on ourselves in order to avoid having to start the unpleasant task.

Would you like a few examples?

• “Once I have the laptop (brand XY), writing will be much easier for me. Then I’ll get started on my book, my project, my presentation, etc.”

• “When I have the right clothes and a few days off, I can finally find time to do more sport.”

• “When the children are out of the house, I finally find time to do the things (travel, further training, professional career (whatever that means for you), etc.) that are important to me.”

Motivation is a sprint

But the truth is: “successful” female founders, experts and role models don’t rely on spontaneous motivation and the right moment to get started, because they know it doesn’t exist – instead, they rely on discipline and consistency, clear routines and a strong inner attitude. Of course it’s not.

Motivation is a sprint, not a marathon. Yes, you read that correctly – the sentence applies here in exactly the opposite way to what is said about life, because maintaining motivation and bringing about the flow moment is not possible in the long term. Instead, focusing on daily routines and consistent, albeit repetitive, tasks is a more effective way to ultimately reach your goal.

So my best friend could say about me: “Man, you’re good at just finishing tasks, regardless of how you feel, how you’re feeling or the time of day.” And this description would explain much better why we sometimes finish tasks even though we are totally unmotivated and would rather do anything else.

Whether it’s that one untidy room in the house, the unfinished project, the unwelcome obligatory call or the organization of an upcoming celebration. If you want to feel motivated, you sometimes have to give motivation a little “nudge” and perhaps you’ll like one or two tips that don’t come from a motivation expert, but from a “work queen”:

Not feeling ready? – Do it anyway!

The most disciplined women I know are much more like you and me than you realize, and you can be sure they hate it just as much as you do sometimes: answering emails, doing taxes, writing social media posts (I mean, does anyone really read them all the way through?!) – But they do it anyway and it makes all the difference.

Remember: “I don’t feel like it” – is the killer phrase of every vision. If you don’t do it, who will? Right, nobody. No one will learn the language, practice the instrument, plan the move or complete the training – your life, your responsibility. You are not “just” your feelings, i.e. if you don’t feel like or are even afraid of the mountain of tasks, sometimes it’s like jumping off a three-meter board: Don’t look down (or at the to-dos), just jump off (i.e. get going).

Start with a single action

No 5-year plan, no 10-point program. Just a mini-step.

Do you want to start your own business, change industries or learn a new language? Send out an email today, sign up for the internal mentoring program or book a training session with a trainer. It’s like a domino effect: if you knock over one stone, they all fall, because – where the focus goes, energy flows.

Envy is an energy vampire – inspiration is a driver

I never tire of saying that it’s a lot easier to be No. 2, because it’s simply easier to improve and learn from this position. If, on the other hand, you’re always striving to be the best, then you’re always looking around you with an anxious look on your face, always aware of the competition that could take your place at any time.

Relax, there will always be someone who is better, faster, more beautiful or smarter – stick to yourself and focus on people with good values, an exciting vision and a personality that inspires and energizes you, rather than constantly leaving you feeling inadequate.

Your environment and the content you consume determine what you consider normal.

If you focus daily on content that is destructive and negative, you will become particularly good at training your brain to look out for precisely this content. The consequence: not just a negative world view, but a feeling of powerlessness.

Instead, fill your feed with people who are courageous and who do their thing against all odds. Let their posts remind you every day how big you can think and what opportunities your work creates for others.

Use the power of routines

Most people have one thing in common: they LOVE routines, because they give us a sense of security, are less stressful and give us the opportunity to break out of them from time to time without leaving our “comfort zone” forever.

Fixed wake-up times, social media slots to avoid doomscrolling or the famous Pomodoro technique to stay focused on one thing. There are many tips and tricks on how we can meet our brain’s need to get a lot done with as little energy expenditure as possible.

Take a moment to think about your routines – do you always eat the same breakfast? Do you brush your teeth in the shower or do you drink a cup of tea/coffee before you officially start your day? Take the opportunity to incorporate another routine that addresses a topic that is important to you. For example, you want to invite more exercise into your daily routine but are too tired to drag yourself to the gym in the evening? Remember point no. 2 (start with a single action) and keep the routine as effortless as possible, i.e. 10 minutes of walking every day! – I can promise you, this routine is much more powerful than sweating in the gym for an hour every 3 weeks.

Conclusion: You don’t have to wait for motivation – start now!

Ultimately, it’s quite simple: no expensive laptop, no magical motivational tricks, no quiet minute in which inspiration suddenly strikes you will trigger the things you want for yourself. Only you can do it, with that one small, first step.

Making things happen successfully does not mean that you should feel motivated all the time. Rather, it means that you take yourself at your word every day. Start small, keep at it, celebrate every step forward and look back with pride – because every mini-step today is proof that you are taking responsibility for your life tomorrow.

And if you needed another reason to get started today – here it is:

You have everything you need inside you and this is the loud starting signal for your next sprint.