You Don't Need More Motivation. You Need a Smaller First Step.
Motivation comes and goes, and sometimes our best intentions get lost somewhere between a busy day and “just one more episode.” Learn how making your first step smaller can help you stop waiting to feel motivated and finally start moving toward what matters.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Britni Leigh
8/1/20263 min read
I used to think there was something wrong with me because I couldn't stay motivated.
You know the feeling. You get this burst of motivation and suddenly you're ready to get your entire life together. You're going to start the project, clean out the closet, finally work on that idea you've been talking about, drink more water, get organized, and probably become a completely new person by next Thursday.
Then you finally get a little free time.
And instead of doing the thing you were so motivated to do two days ago, you start scrolling. You decide you'll watch one episode of something first. Next thing you know, Netflix has introduced you to a seven-part documentary about a scandal you didn't even know existed three hours ago, and somehow you are deeply invested.
Meanwhile, the thing you were going to start?
Still sitting there.
I've done this more times than I'd like to admit. And for a long time, I assumed it meant I lacked discipline or just needed to become more motivated.
But motivation doesn't work like that.
It comes and goes. How motivated we feel can change depending on our energy, stress, mood, environment, competing priorities, and about a hundred other things happening in real life. That's why something can sound like the greatest idea you've ever had at 10:30 on a Sunday night and feel significantly less exciting when it's actually time to work on it Tuesday afternoon.
And there's another problem. When we finally have free time, our brains have options.
Working on the thing we've been avoiding requires effort. Scrolling doesn't. Starting the project involves uncertainty. Watching another episode doesn't. Figuring out the first step takes thought. Starting the project takes effort. Meanwhile, Netflix is already rolling into the next episode before you've even decided whether you're still watching.
So the easier option is an obvious win, especially when we're already tired and want to zone out. That's when it finally clicked for me. I wasn't necessarily lacking motivation. I had plenty of motivation when I was thinking about the idea. The problem came when it was time to actually start.
Maybe I needed to make starting easier.
Think about the difference between these: "I need to work on my business tonight." and "I'm going to spend 15 minutes writing down three ideas." Or "I need to clean this entire house." versus: "I'm clearing off the kitchen counter." Or even: "I need to start exercising again." versus: "I'm putting my shoes on and walking for ten minutes."
The smaller version isn't nearly as intimidating. And here's the part I think we sometimes miss: small doesn't mean insignificant. We have this tendency to believe progress only counts when we do something impressive. If we can't give the project three hours, why bother giving it twenty minutes?
But twenty minutes is still twenty minutes further than you were before. I've noticed the same thing in my faith. There have been times when I've thought I needed to feel spiritually strong, completely certain, or totally prepared before taking a step toward something I felt God placing on my heart.
But most acts of obedience don't start with some huge, dramatic moment. Sometimes it's one prayer. One phone call. One uncomfortable conversation. One small yes.
One decision to finally do the thing you've been thinking about doing for months.
You don't always need enough faith for the entire journey. Sometimes you need enough faith for the next step. Try this the next time you have a little free time. Before automatically opening Netflix, TikTok, Facebook, or whatever your personal time thief happens to be, ask yourself:
What's one thing I've been saying I want to do? Then make it smaller.
Not, "What can I accomplish tonight?" Ask: "What could I move forward in the next 10 or 15 minutes?"
Open the document. Write the paragraph. Send the email. Put on the shoes. Make the appointment. Research one thing. Clear one shelf. Record the first five minutes. Then you're allowed to stop.
Because the goal isn't to suddenly transform yourself into someone who never gets distracted, never procrastinates, and spends every available minute being productive. That's not realistic, and honestly, sometimes you actually do need to sit on the couch and watch the documentary.
The difference is learning to recognize when rest is what you genuinely need and when "I'll do it later" has quietly become your routine. You probably don't need another motivational video. You don't need to wait until Monday. You don't need three uninterrupted hours. And you definitely don't need to have the whole thing figured out.
You may just need to make the first step small enough that starting it feels easier than avoiding it. So before you hit "next episode," give the thing you keep saying matters to you ten minutes.
Just ten. You might be surprised what happens once you finally begin.
