When motivation goes out the window.

This is the time of year when all those New Year’s resolutions cause gyms to be quite busy. In a few more weeks, gyms will be back to normal. Motivation will have vanished like a box of donuts in the staff room. While I’m excited about my goals for 2026, sometimes motivation just goes out the window. That’s exactly where I’ve been the last few weeks.

After taking some time completely off the bike during Christmas vacation, getting back into a routine has been harder than I expected. I’ve managed a few rides on the Peloton, but I’ve pretty much ignored my weight training. Why? Part of it is that I’ve been fighting off some kind of bug. But if I’m being honest, the bigger issue is simpler—and harder to admit: I just haven’t felt motivated to do the work.

And that’s a problem.

So how do I deal with it when motivation starts to wane? First, I partially give in. I don’t force perfection. I’ve done some rides, just not all the ones on my plan. I’ve done a couple of strength workouts, but I’ve missed quite a few in the last three weeks.. From there, I focus on a few strategies that usually help me get back on track.

Action leads to motivation leads to inspiration

Most of us want to feel inspired and motivated before we act. At least for me, that’s rarely how it works. More often than not, if I wait for inspiration, I can go months without getting any workouts in.

What actually happens is this: action leads to motivation, which eventually leads to inspiration. When I start working out with some consistency—whether I feel like it or not—it creates its own momentum. There’s a reason Nike’s “Just Do It” has stuck around for decades. Once the ball starts rolling, I usually want to keep it rolling. That’s how I managed a streak of 35 weeks of logging workouts last year.

Avoid all-or-nothing thinking

This one is my biggest personal bugaboo.

I’m not really a perfectionist, but if I see a three-hour ride on my training plan and I don’t feel great—or I’m just not mentally up for a three-hour slog—I have a tendency to do none of it. When my self-awareness is low, that all-or-nothing mindset causes me to fall behind way more than necessary.

The solution is simple, even if it’s not always easy: do something. Ride for an hour. Ride for two. Some time in the saddle is always better than no time in the saddle.

Ironically, this same mindset is what pushes me to complete four-hour rides when I am feeling good. I just have to remind myself that consistency matters more than hero workouts. And more often than not, once I’m riding, I end up finishing what was planned anyway.

Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good

This goes hand in hand with all-or-nothing thinking.

My coach often schedules very specific workouts—intervals, specific power zones, hill repeats, the whole thing. On the trainer, it’s pretty easy to hit those numbers exactly. On the road? Not so much. Stop signs, traffic, surprise hills, headwinds—it all gets in the way.

When that happens, I have to remind myself that getting close to the workout is still a win. Instead of being frustrated that it wasn’t perfect, I try to enjoy the ride and accept that good is often good enough.

Meditation and mindfulness

There’s a common misconception that meditation is about clearing your mind completely. If that were the case, I’d fail at it every single day.

For me, meditation is really about sitting quietly for a few minutes and noticing what’s taking up mental space. No judgement, just awareness. When I sat to meditate last week, one thought kept coming up: You’re not riding because you’re not motivated.

Sure, I wasn’t feeling 100%. But at 62, that’s rarely the case anyway. With a little honesty, it became clear that between a needed break in November and early December—and then the downtime around Christmas—I’d simply lost both momentum and motivation.

That clarity mattered.

With this piece of personal insight I talked to my coach and the goal for this week is straightforward: block out four hours on the bike and do two weight workouts as planned, whether I feel like it or not. It was the quiet time—thinking about the why—that helped me get back to my training plan and sticking to it

If meditation isn’t for you, I get it, maybe try something like keeping a training journal. A place where you can workout your thoughts about training and how you’re feeling. Add some quiet reflection time to your day, perhaps it’s talking to a friend or coach. Whatever  helps you gain clarity on what’s getting in your way.

If any of this resonates with you, I hope it’s helpful on your own path. Let me know.

Enjoy the ride. 🚴‍♂️