Okay, real talk, how to achieve goals when motivation fails is literally the story of my entire adult life in America right now. I’m sitting here in my stupidly cluttered apartment in Austin, Texas, there’s a half-eaten Whataburger cup sweating on the desk, my dog is snoring like a chainsaw, and I haven’t felt “motivated” since approximately 2019. Yet somehow I’ve launched side hustles, lost 40 lbs twice (don’t ask about the regain), and kept this blog alive. So yeah, I’m qualified to spew on this. https://fs.blog/temptation-bundling/
Why Waiting for Motivation Is Straight-Up Delusional How to Achieve Goals
Motivation is a lying little gremlin. One day it shows up in a cute outfit, whispering “today’s the day you become a morning person!” and the next it ghosts you harder than that situationship from 2022. I learned this the hard way in January 2023 years ago when I bought a $300 Peloton, used it for exactly 11 days, then turned it into the world’s most expensive clothes rack. Classic.
The Taco Bell Parking Lot Epiphany That Changed Everything How to Achieve Goals
True story, 2:14 a.m., I’m sitting in my car outside the 6th Street Taco Bell absolutely bawling because I’d just bombed another launch. Crunchwrap sauce on my shirt, mascara everywhere, thinking “I’m never going to make it.” Then I noticed the drive-thru guy was still smiling and slinging gorditas like a champ on hour 12 of his shift. Dude clearly had zero motivation left, yet the tacos kept coming. That’s when it hit me: systems beat feelings. https://www.nirandfar.com/habit-tracker/
My Dumb-But-Effective Tricks to Achieve Goals When I Feel Dead Inside
- Make the starting action laughably small. Want to write? Rule is “open the Google Doc and write one garbage sentence.” 9 times out of 10 I keep going because momentum is real.
- Use “temptation bundling” like a degenerate. I only let myself watch trashy Bravo shows while walking on the treadmill. Currently on season 8 of Vanderpump and down 12 lbs, you’re welcome.
- Public shame is undefeated. I Venmo-request my best friend $50 every Sunday if I don’t hit my weekly goals. I’m cheap and petty, it works.
- Environment hacking. I keep my running shoes right next to my bed so I literally trip over them. Annoying? Yes. Effective? Also yes.
Building Systems That Don’t Rely on Feeling Like It How to Achieve Goals
James Clear talks about this in Atomic Habits (here’s the book if you haven’t read it ten times already: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits), but basically you gotta make your goals idiot-proof. For me that looks like: https://beeminder.com
- Automating everything possible (bills, workouts scheduled like dentist appointments, meal-prep on Sundays while hungover and blasting sad country music)
- “If-then” planning: If it’s 7 p.m. and I haven’t worked on the business, then I set a 25-minute timer and just start, ugh, do it
- Tracking streaks in the ugliest Google Sheet known to man because crossing off days makes my brain release the good chemicals
The Part Where I Admit I Still Suck Sometimes How to Achieve Goals
Last month I straight-up ghosted my own goals for two weeks straight. Ate like a raccoon, doom-scrolled TikTok until 4 a.m., the whole depressing spiral. But here’s the plot twist: because my systems were still kinda there, I only fell off for 14 days instead of 14 months like usual. Progress, not perfection, or whatever cringe thing people say. https://stickk.com
Look, achieving goals when motivation fails isn’t sexy. It’s not vision boards and sunrise runs and “just believe in yourself” quotes. It’s crying in fast-food parking lots and tricking your dumb brain with tiny habits and public accountability because you’re too broke to lose $50.
If you’re sitting there feeling like a failure right now, same, bestie. But try one of these stupid tricks this week. Pick the dumbest, easiest one. Then come back and tell me if it worked (or roast me if it didn’t).
You got this. Or at least, we’ll fake it together. 💀
