Maybe you scroll Instagram for inspiration.
Bookmark a new fueling plan on Pinterest.
Tell yourself, “Next week will be different, I’ll do all my runs then”.
If you’ve ever said “I just need to get motivated again”, I want you to know:
You’re not broken. You’re not lazy. And you’re definitely not alone.
But here’s what might surprise you…
Lack of motivation isn’t your problem, it’s a mindset loop you’re stuck in.
Motivation feels like the golden ticket to getting things done. And yes, when it hits, it’s magical.
But motivation is fleeting.
It’s emotional. Erratic.
And honestly? It’s kind of unreliable.
Waiting to feel motivated before you run is like waiting for the perfect weather to start training – it might happen, but not often enough to build anything real.
So when motivation dips (as it always does), we assume we’ve failed. That something is wrong with us.
Cue the guilt. The self-doubt. The quiet quitting.
But what if we stopped chasing motivation, and started focusing on who we are instead?
Let me ask you something:
Do you see yourself as a runner?
Because identity changes everything.
When running becomes part of who you are – not just something you do – you don’t need a big motivational push each week. You just go. Like brushing your teeth. Like grabbing your coffee.
Thinking like a runner sounds like:
It doesn’t mean you always want to run.
It means you’re grounded in the habit and identity of someone who does it anyway.
If you’re ready to run more consistently without waiting for the motivational wave to hit, try reflecting on these:
There was a time when races were the only thing that kept me consistent. If I’d signed up, I’d train. Simple.
But no race? No run. I told myself, “You don’t have time”, “You’re not feeling it”, “You’ll go tomorrow”.
Eventually I realised the problem wasn’t my training plan – it was how I saw myself.
So I made a quiet decision: I’m a runner who runs three times a week, no matter what.
No drama. No debate. That shift changed everything.
Not because it made me superhuman – but because it took motivation off the table.
If this sparked something for you, you’ll love the podcast episode that inspired it:
🎧 You Don’t Need More Running Motivation – Why a Mindset Shift Is the Key to Consistency
In it, I go deeper into the runner identity shift, share more personal stories, and talk through the exact mindset traps that keep you stuck.
This is the heart of what we do in The Runner Identity Project – because running is so much more than ticking boxes on a plan.
It’s about creating a version of yourself you trust.
And building habits from the inside out.