14 Feb The Unfiltered Truth About Motivation

Posted at 12:09h in GI SAID IT, Philosophy, Psychology, Values by

Let’s get one thing straight; motivation isn’t your golden ticket to success. If you’re chasing the high of feeling pumped up and inspired, you’re setting yourself up for a never ending cycle of temporary fixes and steep crashes. Motivation on its own won’t get the job done, you need something more to see you through to the end.

THE PROBLEM WITH “FEEL GOOD” MOTIVATION

Most self-help books, courses, and coaching sessions are designed to manipulate your emotions, plain and simple. They make you feel unstoppable, empowered, and ready to conquer the world… for about two minutes. Then, when it’s time to actually do the work and roll up your sleeves, that adrenaline disappears like steam off an overpriced cup of coffee.

This isn’t accidental, it’s business. In fact, it’s literally Marketing 101. Self-help creators understand that people buy with their emotions. They know how to identify your insecurities, poke them, and sell you a solution that feels like the magic cure. And when the high inevitably fades, what happens? You go back for your next emotional hit; another book, course, or session. The cycle continues, and so does your struggle.

Let’s call it what it is, “feel-good motivation” is a scam if it’s not backed by action. It’s not about how good or fired up you feel; it’s about the drive and will it takes to get up and get it done consistently, even when you’re not “feeling it.”

THE TRUTH ABOUT SUCCESS

Success doesn’t come from temporary bursts of motivation. It comes from:

Truth – Taking a hard and honest look at where you are now and what needs to change.

Courage – Facing uncomfortable realities and pushing through the fear or doubt anyways.

Determination – Doing the work day in and day out, even when it’s inconvenient or straight grueling.

If you can’t handle truth; if constructive criticism or advice from someone more experienced sets you off; you’re setting yourself up for failure. Immaturity, ego, and avoidance of tough realities will get you nowhere. The first step in growth is being real with yourself. Where are you right now? What do you need to fix internally before you can tackle external goals? And for every new opportunity, ask yourself the critical question no one seems to address anymore: “Just because I can do something, does that mean I should?”

WHY MOTIVATION WILL ALWAYS FALL SHORT

Motivation doesn’t last because it’s tied to emotions, and emotions are temporary. When the grind is soul-sucking, exhausting, and lonely; motivation often evaporates. What carries you through instead is maturity, responsibility, and sheer determination. Winners aren’t the ones who ride the 2 ticket motivational rollercoaster. They’re the ones who handle work when there’s no applause, no cheering, and no urge to push forward.

It’s not glamorous, but it’s real and it’s what gets things done.

BE THE PERSON YOU CAN BET ON

The people who succeed aren’t superhuman. They just handle hard times the way most folks handle good times, with relentless effort. Here’s what defines them:

They push forward without anyone holding their hand.

They learn from failure, adapt, and try again.

They don’t rely on mood or energy; they rely on discipline.

This mindset separates the yappers from the doers, the dreamers from the achievers. Which one are you? If you’re waiting for the perfect moment or another motivational hype session to give you a boost… you’re probably not ready. And that’s okay, but it’s time to pivot.

SHIFT YOUR FOCUS FROM FEELINGS TO STRENGTHS

Here’s the kind of motivation that’s worth something:

Your Strengths – Build on what you’re already good at.

Your Passion – Leverage what sets your soul on fire.

Your Resolve – Use your willingness to improve as your fuel.

The difference here is important. These aren’t fleeting emotions; they are defining aspects of who you are. You’ll have bad days (like everyone does), but when you base your effort in your strengths and passions rather than emotional highs, you’ll keep moving forward.

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS

This isn’t just personal advice; it’s important in business as well. Whether you’re leading a company or building your personal brand, your ability to execute, regardless of circumstances, is what sets you apart from the people who can’t. High stakes situations don’t care about your mood. Deadlines don’t care about your excuses. An uncertain market doesn’t care about your insecurities. What matters is your ability to deliver results.

This applies to every industry and every ambition. If you want to survive and thrive, you need to cultivate the habits and mindset of someone who gets it done, no matter what.

THE REAL MOTIVATION YOU NEED

Here’s my kind of “motivation”:

You’re smart. Use it.
You’re capable. Prove it to yourself.
You have strengths. Stop wasting them.
You have weaknesses. Work on them without excuses.
You have passions. Pursue them without apology.

It’s time to stop seeking shallow BS and start building the skills and mental toughness you need to make real progress. It’s not easy, but nothing worthwhile is.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Motivation is a fleeting ego boost. It feels nice, but gets you nowhere. The winners in life and business are the people who take action, show up, and keep pushing forward, even when the odds are stacked against them. If you’re tired of the quick fixes and empty promises, get serious about the work. No one else can do it for you. Stop expecting it to feel good and start pushing through the lack of motivation to make it work…

GI Griffin is a brutally honest cultural commentator and author, founder of The Tribe Academy, and host of the GI SAID IT show where bold perspective meets unfiltered truth. Known for his no-BS insights on human behavior and modern culture, GI challenges conventional thinking, exposes uncomfortable truths, and delivers bold insights for independent minds. View his show & essays here, or subscribe to his FREE newsletter here.

 

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