How do successful people stay motivated when their initial excitement fades?

Ever wondered whether successful people are always motivated or is that just a myth? Most of us have often wanted to know the secret behind what keeps them going without motivation, is there a shortcut to success and how exactly to develop a mindset that treats challenges as stepping stones rather than setbacks.

Successful people aren’t always motivated

It is no secret that the beginning of any pursuit is often charged with enthusiasm - be it launching a new project, starting a new business or embarking on a fitness journey. That early spark of excitement can be electric but as reality sets in, the novelty wears off and the inevitable challenges arise and we see that our motivation tends to wane.

While it may seem human and universal, successful people are often seeing thriving beyond it. The question is how do they rise above the rest? What sets them apart? How do they stay motivated when the initial excitement fades?

When motivation dies, this is what truly successful people turn to

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Helen Marlo, Dean of the School of Psychology at Notre Dame de Namur, shared, “Successful people develop stress and affect tolerance as well as resilience. They develop the skill of, “emodiversity,” or the capacity to experience and tolerate a range of feelings.”

She revealed, “When excitement fades, successful people realise this feeling, like all feelings, will come and go, will not last forever, and that other feelings will emerge. Successful people realise the importance of staying with all feelings just like they understand the value of staying with a goal.”

According to Dr Helen Marlo, successful people realise that not all stress is equal and differentiate between “eustress” (a meaningful and motivating form of stress) versus “distress” (a counterproductive, demotivating, and debilitating form of stress). She explained, “They understand that embracing meaningful stress and managing destructive stress are both part of success, which helps them stay motivated after the initial excitement fades. They try to foster more eustress and minimise distress.”

The expert concluded with the insight, “Successful people tie stressors to something meaningful—a project, cause, value, or larger goal—which research demonstrates can positively impact health and well-being. Successful people direct more of their attention to memories of their successes and the consequences such successes have on their lives.”