Staying Motivated When Life Is Full

Holiday Moments

I’ve been thinking a lot about motivation lately, not in the way that sounds like self-help, but in the way that actually shows up in real life.

How do you stay motivated toward what you’re building when your life is full, meaningful, demanding, and honestly…already a lot.

Because this is the season where motivation doesn’t disappear because we don’t care. It disappears because our attention is legitimately divided.

Family, kids, travel, social plans, end-of-year loose ends. And without realizing it, the desires of our heart quietly become optional.

What I’ve learned is this: motivation isn’t something you either have or don’t have. It’s something you stay in a relationship with.

During the holidays, especially, most of us get our wires cross and mistake pressure for motivation.

We feel like we are doing so much, but also that we should be doing more. Or we think we’re doing nothing at all and have anxiety about that…both kill momentum.

Here’s how I work with motivation:

I stop asking: “How do I stay disciplined?” And I start asking: “What would help me stay connected?”

Because motivation that lasts isn’t fueled by force; it’s fueled by connection.

When I’m connected to why something matters to me, I don’t need to push to make it happen. I just need to make the next step small that fits inside the life I’m already living.

This time of year, I don’t try to keep the same pace as I usually do. I don’t expect the same output as what I see on social media. And I don’t pretend the season isn’t different. I shift how I measure progress.

Instead of focusing on the entire vision, I focus on what keeps me in a relationship with it. Small actions. Brief check-ins. Staying energetically engaged even when time is limited.

That’s how motivation stays warm instead of burning out.

And here’s something I’ve noticed over time:

The way you move through the end of December sets the tone for January.

If you completely disconnect now, it’s harder to re-enter later.

If you stay gently engaged, momentum comes with you. That’s why I created a simple exercise below for paid subscribers.

It’s not about doing more.

It’s about staying connected to what you care about while you live your life.

Upgrade now to learn my in depth strategy to keep motivation going during the holiday season - especially the weird window between Christmas and New Year’s. If you’d like to skip to the front of the line and start getting ready for 2026, join my Manifesting Made Simple Challenge, available either in the SHIFT with Jamie membership or on its own. Amplify your life, starting today.