When the Grind Gets to You: How to Keep Going When You’ve Lost the Spark

Do you ever feel like the grind is getting to you? One day you wake up, and you don’t have the motivation, again. 

Hard truth: Anyone who tells you they wake up every morning motivated and ready to go is lying to you. Sorry, but that’s the hard truth. 

Some days, I just plain lack the excitement or the inspiration for work and the overall grind that can include anything from the monotony of Zoom calls to endless kiddo pick-ups and drop-offs. Days when completing the bare minimum feels like the hardest thing in the whole effing world. 

This post isn’t about hacks to “make you feel more motivated” or “how to wake up every day to do the most,” because we know that sometimes those tips and articles just make the whole daily-grind thing a whole lot worse. This is about the honesty, grit, and everything in between to help you gain back the spark and motivation you’re currently lacking, from someone who has been there. 

The Middle is a Mess 

Nobody talks about how soul-sucking the middle can be. At first, there is the energy of a new project, or a new season, or a new business venture - a spark, a vision, a reason you started. But then comes the long stretch where nothing feels shiny anymore. The routine sets in, progress feels small, and the reality of the work becomes, well, reality. And you start to wonder if you’re even moving forward at all. It’s not rock bottom, but it’s not inspiring either. It’s the slow, dull ache of showing up day after day with no applause, no breakthroughs, it’s just you and the grind.

But, do you want to know the real truth? That middle part is where the real work happens. It’s not the kind of work you post about, but the work you do on yourself. It’s the resilience you build, the self-control you learn. 

Not to get all cheesy here, but it’s kind of like training for a half marathon or full marathon (pick your poison). At first, you’re excited because you just signed up for the race. Then, around week three, four, or five of training, you start wondering who the hell decided running 12.5 miles was a good idea in the first place, and why you thought it was for you. Right?!

So, from someone who has been there, I can assure you that I’ve felt it all. The dragging mornings, the hollow-feeling micro accomplishments, the wondering if it’s even worth it. 

While I don’t have the magic formula, I do have some hard-earned truths. These are my top tips on how to keep going when you’ve lost the spark in your career or your business. 

Take it a Day at a Time

Some days, I can barely see past noon, let alone plan the week. So I learned that on the particularly bad days, the best recipe is just to stop. Stop trying so hard, stop pushing the big proverbial boulder of ambition uphill. I’ve learned instead to recognize that these are the moments where it’s essential to take it one day at a time, sometimes even one hour at a time. When the spark has gone, thinking long-term can feel suffocating. So, here’s my advice for you - just don’t. 

Shrink down your world to what you can handle at this moment in time. It can be as simple as making the bed, drinking your water, answering one email, and letting that be enough. You don’t have to have a five-year plan when just surviving Tuesday is a triumph. Sometimes it isn’t all about soaring, it’s about staying quietly with yourself, and that’s where the bravery lives. 

Create Time For Yourself 

Somewhere in the blur of responsibilities and expectations, I can often forget I am a person with feelings, needs, and shortcomings. Add being a mom to the mix, or a big career, and creating time to regroup is even more demanding, yet fundamentally more critical to longer-term happiness. Finding time for yourself can feel selfish at first, as if it's one more thing you have to earn. But here's what I learned: when everything feels heavy, you are the one who needs tending, not your to-do list. 

It doesn’t need to look like a spa day or a week-long holiday (though that might work as well). Sometimes taking time for yourself looks like saying “no,” because your plate’s already full. It’s choosing rest instead of pushing through another late night. It’s lingering a little longer with your coffee in the morning, maybe even stealing a few quiet moments with your family before the chaos begins. Making space for yourself isn’t selfish; it’s essential. It lowers stress, restores your energy, and who knows… it might even be the thing that gently brings your spark back to life.

Back to the Beginning 

Behind all the emails, long hours, and constant meetings is the reason you started it all. When everything feels flat and forced, the root reason you started out in the first place can get a little lost. It isn’t the polished Instagrammable “why,” but the real one. The one dream that lit up you before the deadlines, pressure, and the burnout crept in, that version of your dream you whispered to yourself when no one was watching. 

Reconnecting with your original vision isn’t about forcing motivation; it’s about coming home to yourself. Sometimes it means making small shifts to realign with the version of your dream that felt honest and alive. Because let’s be real, along the way, your “why” can get watered down, buried under other people’s expectations. It might not reignite everything at once, but it can remind you that this grind once mattered, and maybe it still does

You’ve Got This 

There's a time for productivity, and a time to just focus on staying committed.

Not every day needs to look like a perfectly time-blocked 24-hour window. Some days, you just need to keep moving, even if your page is slow and sluggish.

It's not about being polished, it's about getting raw and relatable with yourself about how you're doing. When the grind starts to get to you, that's your sign to let up on the stress and just simply BE. The rest will work itself out. I promise.