I’ve had a few of those weeks lately — the kind where you feel like you’re pushing uphill every day. The meetings keep coming, deals keep changing direction, the inbox never stops filling up, and somehow you’re still trying to keep yourself motivated through it all.
It’s easy in those moments to tell yourself to “dig deep” or “push through,” but the truth is, that advice doesn’t really help when you’re genuinely running low on energy. What I’ve been learning lately — and what I’ve been talking to my team about — is how to find another gear when you’re tired.
Not by forcing fake positivity. Not by burning out. But by doing the small, deliberate things that help you keep moving forward with purpose.
Here are three things that have made a real difference for me — no fluff, just what’s actually working:
1. Get Specific About the Win
When you’re tired, big goals feel impossible. “Crush Q4” or “hit your number” doesn’t mean much when you’re staring down another long week.
So instead, I try to get specific about what winning looks like today. One call. One follow-up. One conversation that moves a deal forward. One coaching session that helps a teammate get unstuck.
When you redefine progress at a smaller scale, you start to rebuild momentum. I tell my team this all the time: you don’t need to move mountains every day — you just need to keep stacking small wins.
Even when I’m dragging, I can find energy when I see progress — even if it’s just a little.
2. Change the Environment Before You Change the Plan
I used to think the solution to low energy was to “push harder.” Now, I’ve learned that sometimes, it’s not the work that needs changing — it’s the environment.
If I’m sitting at my desk feeling stuck, I’ll take a walk and think about a deal while I move. If I’m hitting a wall in a call, I’ll switch from video to phone to make it more conversational. Sometimes, I’ll just grab a coffee with a teammate and talk through what’s on our plate.
Changing the environment gives your brain a pattern break. It creates space to think differently and find that next gear naturally.
So before you overhaul your plan or question your motivation, ask: “Can I shift the environment first?”
3. Anchor to Purpose — Not Pressure
When fatigue sets in, pressure grows. “I have to close this.” “I have to perform.” “I have to be better.” That mindset only tightens the tension.
What’s helped me — and my team — is to anchor back to why we do what we do. For me, it’s helping customers solve problems that genuinely impact their business. It’s mentoring newer team members so they can see what great looks like. It’s building trust across the table.
When you connect back to purpose, you start finding energy again — not because you have to, but because you want to.
There’s no magic switch for when things feel heavy. But finding another gear isn’t about heroics — it’s about small shifts: shrinking the goal, changing the environment, and reconnecting to purpose.
Those small steps compound. And on the other side of fatigue, there’s often a breakthrough waiting — not because you forced it, but because you kept going.
Even tired progress is still progress. And sometimes, that’s exactly what gets you to the next level.
