Your Thursday Three Things for March 20, 2025

When Motivation Fades… What’s Left?

Here we are, March 20th. That fresh-start energy from January? For most people, it’s a distant memory.

This is the time of year when gyms start emptying out, meal-prep containers collect dust, and those ambitious goals get pushed to “next Monday”... then “next month”... then “I’ll get back on track when things calm down.”

If you’re feeling that pull… the slow drift away from the commitments you made at the start of the year… you’re not alone. But here’s the reality: motivation was never the thing that was going to get you there anyway.

The Myth of Motivation

We love the idea of motivation because it feels exciting. It makes change seem easy, like a switch we can flip. But motivation is fickle. It comes and goes. And if you rely on it to take action, you’re in trouble… because the second it fades, so does your progress.

The people who succeed… the ones who actually achieve their goals… aren’t the ones who started with the most motivation. They’re the ones who kept showing up after it faded.

Progress isn’t about going hard for a few weeks and then burning out. It’s about steady, relentless consistency… doing the work, day after day, even when you don’t feel like it. Especially when you don’t feel like it.

Lessons from the Endurance World

That’s something endurance athletes understand better than most. We just had Brett Blankner on Men Talking Mindfulness, and he shared how long-distance training isn’t about grinding harder… it’s about relaxation, presence, and smart training. (Listen to the episode here: https://pod.fo/e/2b9777)

Brett has done things most people wouldn’t even attempt. He’s swum 22 miles across Lake Tahoe. He’s completed multiple Ironmans. He’s logged thousands of hours training his body and mind. And he didn’t get there by relying on bursts of motivation.

He got there through discipline, mindfulness, and knowing when to push and when to pull back.

He talked about something called the 85% Rule… a mindset elite athletes use to stay in the game for the long haul. Instead of always pushing at 100% intensity, they operate at about 85%. It’s counterintuitive, but it works.

Why? Because when you push too hard, too fast, you burn out. You break down. And then you quit. But when you find that sweet spot… where you're challenging yourself but still have something left in the tank… you can keep going. Not for days. Not for weeks. But for months and years.

That’s the real key to success. Not all-out effort for a little while… but smart, sustained effort for a long time.

The Mid-March Gut Check

So now’s the perfect time for a gut check. Not to ask yourself if you’re still motivated, but to ask:

✔️ Am I still showing up?

✔️ Am I making small, consistent progress?

✔️ Am I focused on the process, not just the outcome?

✔️ Am I pacing myself so I don’t burn out before I reach the finish line?

If you’re feeling stuck, here are three things that can help get you back on track:

1️⃣ The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

This book drives home one of the most important truths about success: small, consistent actions compound over time. The people who succeed aren’t doing huge, dramatic things. They’re just making slightly better choices every single day. And those tiny improvements add up.

Feeling like you’ve fallen off track? Don’t overhaul everything. Just focus on making one slightly better decision today than you did yesterday.

2️⃣ The 85% Rule: Train Smart, Not Just Hard

Brett talked about this on the show: Peak performers don’t go all-out all the time. They know when to push and when to pull back.

If you’re constantly grinding at 100%, you’re probably on the fast track to burnout. Instead, ask yourself:

• Am I pacing myself for the long haul?

• Am I taking recovery seriously?

• Am I working smarter, not just harder?

You don’t have to destroy yourself to make progress. In fact, you’ll probably go farther if you ease up just a little.

3️⃣ Train Your Mind for Discipline (Not Motivation)

If you’re serious about building the kind of resilience that keeps you going long after motivation fades, consider training your mind like an athlete trains their body.

That’s exactly what we’re doing with our Live Virtual Mindfulness & Meditation Course, starting Sunday, April 27th. It’s about more than relaxation… it’s about training your mind to stay focused, consistent, and in control, no matter what life throws at you.

Check it out at https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/learnmeditation

The Bottom Line

Motivation is a spark, but discipline is the fire that keeps you going.

And discipline isn’t some grand, heroic effort. It’s just the choice to show up again today. Even if you slipped. Even if you’re tired. Even if you don’t feel like it.

That’s what separates the people who talk about goals from the people who actually achieve them.

So if your motivation is fading? Good. This is where the real work starts.

And if you need a little inspiration on how endurance and mindfulness go hand in hand, check out our conversation with Brett Blankner here.

Until next time, cheers!

Jon - Frogman Mindfulness

Jon and Will - Men Talking Mindfulness