Why you struggle to stay motivated
By Enoch Showunmi · Jul 15, 2026 · 6 min read
“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” — Napoleon Hill
Many times during my career I used the desire to prove people wrong as motivation to get up and do something. The fact that people told me I couldn’t do something helped me find the resources to do that very thing. This is an ‘away from’ type of motivation — away from criticism, away from doubt, away from the pain of not achieving.
The second type is a ‘towards’ motivation — towards pleasure, a positive life, a specific outcome. The difference lies in our instincts: ‘away from’ aligns with the instinct to move away from pain.
Pain is a strong motivator, so you tend to have more reserves to push forward and stop it. But once you’ve done that, the natural instinct is to relax and take no further action — you’re away from the pain, and you feel you can take your foot off the gas.
You see it with great players throughout history — from impoverished backgrounds right to the top, maybe even a Ballon d’Or, yet only a few years at the top instead of many, unlike Messi and Ronaldo. ‘Away from’ motivation is powerful for creating change, but it’s not enough to stay motivated long term.
Every day we have a finite amount of willpower. We’re not designed to do things that are scary, difficult, uncomfortable or new. We love to stay in our comfort zones and hesitate when we get great ideas. Unfortunately, success is usually on the other side of what is unknown, uncertain, uncomfortable and new.
A burst of motivation is like a sugar rush — impossible to maintain, and when it wears off you feel worse. The only way to keep it going is to enjoy your success — and that doesn’t mean the end goal, it means the little victories along the way. Positive dopamine gives you the push to keep doing more.
Set it & forget it — trust the system
Set your end goal — then forget it. Focus on the system and process to get there. The reason to forget the end goal is so you don’t constantly compare where you are now to where you want to be, feel not good enough, and lose motivation. Keep celebrating those small victories.
When you consistently do the right things, success is inevitable. Learn to trust the system — if you have a process in the first place.
I’m giving you 15 years of knowledge and experience: the exercises, the training and the inside information on what mindset works to take your game to the next level. I played over 350 professional games in one of the hardest, most competitive countries in the world — and I did it against the odds. The process will make you a better player, a better teammate and a better individual.
When you have a process, you don’t need to rely on willpower or determination. It becomes automatic — all you have to do is keep persevering, even when you’re scared, uncertain or outside your comfort zone.
Early in my career that was exactly the case. I wasn’t getting paid and I was playing professional soccer. I didn’t know if I was good enough or what was expected. I was converted into a position I’d never played. Scared, uncertain and out of my comfort zone — but there was a process that let me get better: physical training, mindset, emotional training and grit. That mental toughness was my foundation for long-term success.
Remember: what I teach goes beyond being a good soccer player — it will equip you for life. A career in soccer is short, so you must have the right plans for life beyond it. Six years into my career I did my Master’s in Finance while at my highest-paid point. Plan for the inevitable. It won’t be about willpower and determination — just the mental toughness and grit to stick with your process. And keep celebrating those small victories.