Podcast Ep 397 - How to Manufacture Motivation

If you’ve been telling yourself that you’re unmotivated lately, let’s clear something up right away: you’re not lazy, undisciplined, or incapable.

What you’re experiencing is far more common — and far more fixable — than you think.

In this episode, Heather shares a moment many photographers quietly relate to. Even as someone who is naturally driven and consistent, she found herself in a season where ideas felt heavy, energy was low, and action felt pointless. Not because she didn’t care. Not because she lacked discipline. But because one subtle thought crept in: What if this doesn’t work anyway?

That single belief is enough to drain motivation entirely.

Why Lack of Belief Kills Momentum

Motivation doesn’t disappear randomly. It’s a feeling created by what you’re thinking. When your dominant thought becomes “I don’t know what to do next” or “Nothing is working”, your brain does the logical thing — it stops investing energy.

Why would it push forward if it believes effort will fail?

This is why so many photographers get stuck in cycles of procrastination, avoidance, or “rest” that doesn’t actually feel restorative. It looks like scrolling, reorganizing, or stepping back — but underneath it is hopelessness. And hopelessness shuts momentum down faster than anything else.

The Shift That Changes Everything

What changed for Heather wasn’t a new strategy, calendar, or checklist. It was one thought:

There’s something I haven’t tried yet — and it could work.

That belief alone created hope. And hope led to clarity. Clarity led to action. Action compounded into momentum. And momentum always leads to results.

Nothing external changed. The shift happened internally.

Instead of ruminating on what wasn’t working, she stayed in the game. She allowed curiosity to replace certainty. And curiosity sparked energy — the kind that makes you want to show up again.

You Don’t Need More Strategy — You Need a New Thought

If you’re in a season where motivation feels low, the answer isn’t to overhaul your business or force yourself harder. It’s to get curious about what you’re believing.

Ask yourself:

• What am I thinking when I’m not taking action?
• What belief is quietly convincing me to stop?
• What could I believe instead that would create hope?

Because motivation isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you create — intentionally — by choosing thoughts that move you forward instead of shutting you down.

And if you need support learning how to do that, that’s exactly the kind of work done inside Elevate. Not fixing you — but helping you uncover the belief that’s been standing in your way.

Nothing has gone wrong.
Your motivation isn’t gone.
It’s just buried under a thought you haven’t questioned yet.