Hey Reader,

We like the rush of inspiration to start something.

We’ve been told great performance comes from a strong why.

That excellence flows from motivation.

But some days it’s there, other days it’s not.

Most people fail to finish what they started because they’re waiting to find their spark again.

In today’s issue, we’ll discuss how to always take your feelings, whatever they may be, along for the ride.

Let’s dive in.

🗯️ You don’t need to feel good to get going

In the early 2000s, Serena Williams trained through a difficult period physically, emotionally, and professionally.

She went through the trauma of losing her sister to a drive-by shooting, a severe knee and abdominal injury, which caused her rankings to plummet, dropping her out of the Top 100.

That was a massive fall for someone who had once dominated the sport.

While recovering and grieving, she faced brutal criticism from the media about her commitment, weight, and even her fashion choices.

She was questioned and repeatedly told she was “finished.”

Her motivation was tried, tested, and drained.

She later said in interviews that the loss of her sister took a huge toll on her, and she even considered quitting tennis altogether.

But Serena kept training through grief, injury, and harsh criticisms in ways she could.

At one point, reporters asked her how she kept showing up to win without “inspiration.”

She said, “I don’t wait to feel inspired. I show up and let the inspiration catch up.”

And despite all odds, she went on to dominate the sport for another decade.

Imagine she waited to rekindle her motivation.

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🧠 Your motivation will fail you

People say success is a result of staying emotionally connected to your why.

But anyone who’s done anything great knows your “why” can eventually fail you.

You’ve had days when you were clear on your purpose, and still didn’t feel like taking action. (and you didn’t).

Your “why” was still there, but not just enough to power that odd feeling.

You waited for the slightest rush of inspiration to act. Nothing happened.

Then you probably judged yourself for not feeling it, wondering if you’ve lost your edge.

You’ve lost nothing.

But every time you delay action in favor of motivation, you teach your nervous system that you only move when it feels inspired.

And slowly, taking action starts to feel conditional.

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❤️ Excellence is built when you follow through

You don’t need to feel good to get going, you need to get going to give yourself a chance at feeling good.

Show up because you have to, or for the joy of accomplishing it, not just because of why you planned to do it in the first place.

When you cultivate the mental discipline to act even when you don’t feel like it, you build self-confidence to keep doing what you have to do.

You realize keeping your word to yourself is its own form of fuel.

You feel this reward of joy in doing it over and over.

That deep, grounded satisfaction builds momentum, more clarity, and even the motivation that was initially missing.

You become so self-driven.

You stop relying on fleeting inspiration.

You’re no longer anxious because you know you’ve got your own back.

And you carry that calm, that strength, into every part of your day.

That self-sufficiency builds consistency, and consistency compounds into excellence.

Over time, excellence becomes standard in how you think, act, and deliver, especially when it’s hard.

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🤲 Train your system to move regardless

Honestly, it’s hard to act when your mind, body, and strength are not in sync.

But if you consistently practice any of these steps, you’ll gradually build the mental discipline to always do what you have to do:

1. Every morning, before all the stress and demotivation set in, do something that feels uncomfortable. Think maybe a 3-minute cold shower, a no-music workout, or just something small you’ve been avoiding. That jolt reminds your nervous system that you do not rely on inspiration to act.
2. Assign something you’ve been avoiding to be done at the worst time of your day… Your ability to act at your lowest builds the self-command mindset to get going at all times.
3. When you feel the dip in motivation, practice an identity trigger. “I’m the kind of person who gets shit done…keeps to my word….” This actually fuels your ego to act anyway. No, it doesn’t massage your ego in the wrong way. It just builds momentum.
4. Join a mental toughness group, challenge, or activity. I say this all the time. It’s the best thing you can do to cultivate the habits of mental discipline. #75Hard did it for me, and the mental transformation is crazy. Consistently doing hard things, whether you like it or not, is the best way to build the mind and act of excellence.

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🎯 What defines your excellence?

If a curveball drains your motivation, would you still honor the work?

What would change in your life, business, or leadership if you stopped needing inspiration to act?

The habits of excellence are discipline, grit, resilience, and integrity.

Imagine how unstoppable that makes you.

As Pablo Picasso once said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”

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With appreciation,

Huw

Huw Edwards Founder & CEO, h3.xyz​

Whenever you're ready, here are 2 ways I can help you:

1. Join my free #75Hard Community: for those inspired to undertake the transformative #75hard program to build mental toughness for greater achievements. You also get to be surrounded by other overachievers at different levels of the program.
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2. Later this year, I will be launching an exclusive new mastermind for founders and CEOs on how to become unstoppable, unfuckwithable, and unapologetically live up to your potential. I share 10 years of experience leading organizations, buying businesses, starting companies, and doing crazy endurance feats. This program sets the stage for a new era of empowered elite CEOs & entrepreneurs.

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Book a free Clarity​ Call to see if you are fit for the program.