How do you handle days when your motivation is low?

Last week I had a coaching client tell me he was on fire Monday and Tuesday, but felt unmotivated on Wednesday.

Here’s what I told him:

First off, it’s important to understand that motivation comes and goes, even for the most ambitious of people.

Here are four ways to get the most out of days when motivation is low:

1. Give yourself grace and try not to beat yourself up. It doesn’t help. Accept that you are doing your best and some days are simply better than others.

2. Remind yourself why you are working in the first place, and who is impacted by the work you are doing. When you have a strong why, it’s much easier to push through the hardest days.

3. Take a mulligan and limit the damage. Let one bad day remain just one, rather than allowing it to turn into a slump. I can miss a workout, but I never miss two days in a row because then it easily can turn into a week.

4. Get started. We often feel unmotivated when we have too much on our plate and get overwhelmed, causing us to want to retreat. Identify what’s causing you stress and get started on it. Take the first step.

In the words of Jim Rohn,

“Motivation is what gets you started, but habits are what keeps you going.”