2 Minute Read

We don't rise to the level of our motivation.

We fall to the level of our routine.

What the Dip Actually Is

Low motivation doesn’t mean we’ve totally lost it. It means our brain is doing what it’s designed to do.

Dopamine (the “anticipation” chemical) makes effort feel exciting. It spikes with novelty and recedes with repetition. Training blocks, by definition, become familiar. Add normal training fatigue and life stress, and the system downshifts. It'll certainly feel like a reduction in motivation. 

But it definitely does not mean we’re off-track. It’s normal. It's actually guaranteed. And it'll happen with anything in life that requires significant effort over a long period of time.

This isn't Failure

We mislabel these downshifts in motivation as a loss of passion, then start overhauling plans to “feel inspired” again. That is (for sure) a trap.

Adaptation is slow and quiet. It rarely feels cinematic. In fact, the weeks that feel most ordinary are often the ones raising our baseline: tissues remodeling, economy improving, the mind learning to continue working without a euphoric sense of motivation.

If we bail every time the motivation fades, we never stay in the game long enough for the work to... actually work.

Train Through It (On Purpose)

When motivation is low, the goal isn’t to manufacture hype. It’s to remove friction.

We simplify the day and execute: same start time, same warm-up. Mentally decide that "I'm doing this run no matter what" and remove the pre-run mental debate (should I go? Should I take a rest day?)

We let competence, not adrenaline, carry our routine. If the plan says recover, we recover on purpose. If it says work, we work with precision. Matching effort to intention is how we protect momentum without burning the system down.

Make Routine Do the Heavy Lifting

Routine is what replaces motivation when motivation is low (or nonexistent). The more decisions we pre-solve, the less energy we waste negotiating. Same time of day, same prep, same cues.

Every time we finish a session, it serves as evidence. It's proof we're capable of continuing, and motivation is irrelevant. That evidence accumulates. It rewires the story from “I’m not feeling it” to “I’m the kind of athlete who trains, regardless.” And when that happens, the perceived amount of effort required to get out the door becomes dramatically lower.

Motivation will eventually return. It comes and goes. But our routine never broke.

Wrap It Up

Motivation will rise and fall. That’s not a problem to fix. It’s a reality to plan for.

When we treat low motivation as part of the process, lean on routine, and match effort to intention, progress keeps moving even when the spark is dim. And when the spark comes back, it lands on a bigger fire.

And with this mindset, we'll build a routine we love and train consistently.