Why Is Self-Motivation So Crucial for Athletes in Transition?

Ryan Gonsalves
Jun 13
3 min read

Have you ever felt like no one was watching, and still showed up anyway?

That’s the moment self-motivation kicks in.

Whether it’s in sport, business, or just trying to figure out your next chapter, we’ve all had that day where the energy dips, the feedback is silent, and the reward feels miles away.

How do you keep going when the medals stop coming?

Josh Katz said it:

“It’s just too hard over too long with not enough extrinsic reward to do it for anybody else. You have to be self-motivated. It has to be your dream to start with.”

Josh is a 2x Olympian who qualified for Rio at 18, missed out on Tokyo, and came back from a torn ACL to make it to Paris.

What matters here is the honesty he brought to the conversation in his own head:

Getting injured and doing rehab alone.
Questioning if the Olympic dream still mattered.
Feeling like he had to hide when things didn’t go to plan.

But here’s what Josh taught me: clarity comes from the work, not the outcome. He didn’t wait for motivation to show up. He created it through small actions: training in the garage during lockdown, launching Team Katz to speak in schools, and slowly rebuilding trust in himself.

That’s the thing about self-motivation. It doesn’t roar. It whispers. And it shows up before the confidence does.

What keeps you moving when no one’s watching?

If you’re transitioning out of sport, you might be feeling the absence of structure. That can feel freeing… or terrifying.

Without fixtures like selection days, travel blocks, or tournaments to anchor you, it’s easy to drift. That’s why building internal motivation, your own rhythm, your own why is essential.

When I speak with athletes, the shift always starts here:

Who are you when sport is stripped away?

And are you still showing up for yourself, not just for the podium?

What can you do to build self-motivation right now?

Here are three steps I’ve seen work time and time again, whether you’re still competing or already onto your next chapter:

1. Name your next target.

It doesn’t have to be a big dream. It could be starting a new course, reaching out to five people, or building a new routine. Direction creates energy.

2. Track your own wins.

In sport, someone else keeps the score. After sport, you do. Keep a short daily list of what you did well however small. It builds momentum.

3. Stay around people who reflect your effort.

Not hype squads. Real ones. The people who ask how you’re doing and remind you why you started. Whether it’s an old teammate or a new mentor, don’t isolate.