Motivation gets you started, but it is Drive that keeps you going...

2025 is the year of challenges.

The ultimate stretch targets. A year of setting audacious goals to see just how far we can go and how much can outperform what we thought was possible.

Work. Life. Health. Everything.

Last year slowed us down and now this year want to go faster, longer, stronger again...

We all set our New Year goals in a flurry of social media bravado and high octane commitment to our mates at the end of last year, but some are already being broken.

For some of you, things are getting in the way of you willing or able to put the required effort in... or at least, you are starting to allow things to get in the way.

I have a number of these challenges at play already for this year, personally. Some that were self-imposed (www.ultratri.co.uk) and some not expected (if you know, you know). But none-the-less, they are all challenges that I am running towards, head first, eyes wide open.

Each challenge is uniquely different, yet each one identical in what needs to be done to successfully complete it. And that all boils down to one thing (it always does!)...

Drive.

In life, many of us experience moments where we feel motivated - a fleeting burst of energy to tackle a task or chase after a goal. We're pumped up. We want it. We are up for it.

However, the real key to long-term success is never motivation but drive.

While motivation is a short-lived spark that triggers us to sign up for a marathon, or share that new, audacious company target at the new year kick off (I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to a few of these this year already, and they are brilliant!), drive is the enduring force that keeps us going, even when the road gets tough and things get in the way.

Many companies saw this in 2024 - lots of external motivation to tackle what was a challenging market, only to be scuppered by a lack of internal drive to do what was needed to be done to make it happen.

The key to completing challenges then and now, is how we cultivate this deeper, inner sense of drive. I talk about this at one of my masterclasses.

Motivation is often fuelled by external factors such as recognition, rewards (think carrots and sticks), or the pressure of key deadlines. These triggers can be effective at jump-starting action in people, but they rarely have a long lasting effect. I know that from personal experience.

The excitement of a bonus or some additional commission, the (public) praise from your line manager, or the adrenaline rush of hitting a target (if you haven't read the Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles Hummel, then you're missing a trick here) can fade quickly, leaving us wondering where has all that enthusiasm gone.

In contrast, drive is intrinsic; it's deeply rooted in your personal values and feeds off a clear sense of purpose that pushes you, me, all of us to persevere, even when those external rewards aren’t present any more.

Think about an amateur runner...

Motivation might inspire them to start their training plan, perhaps because they’ve committed to an event (I expect to see you all at the start line for the Run for Ryan 2025 on the 8th March, by the way!) or because they wanted to get in shape.

But when the initial enthusiasm fades, it’s their drive—their deep commitment to self-discipline, mastery, and purpose—that keeps them waking up early, pounding the pavements in the wind and rain, and pushing through exhaustion. This ability to keep on going without needing constant external reinforcement, is what sets driven individuals apart.

Work. Life. Health. Everything.

One of my favourite authors, Daniel H. Pink (this is a photo of me and him a few years ago - what a legend he is!) explores this in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

He argues that autonomy, mastery, and purpose are the pillars of sustained motivation that complement the concept of drive perfectly.

• Autonomy: the freedom to direct our own lives - it enables us to align our actions and our goals with our personal values.
• Mastery: the desire to improve and grow - it keeps us striving to do more, do better, be better even when the process itself is difficult.
• Purpose: the belief that what we’re doing has real meaning - it fuels the internal fire that sustains our motivation over time.

If you're not familiar with Dan Pink's book, then I would highly suggest clicking on the video below and watching it (10 minutes). It will change your thinking forever:

Your Why

The first step to cultivating drive is understanding your why.

Why (exactly) do you want to achieve this particular goal? It is very rarely about superficial reasons like earning more money or receiving praise (we found this out when we released Ignite!, our cross industry motivation survey to understand the drivers of recruiters), but about uncovering the deeper values and desires that drive and guide you forward.

For some, it might be about proving to themselves that they can overcome adversity. For others, it might be about creating a meaningful impact on their community or leaving a lasting legacy.

By aligning your goals with this deeper purpose, your actions become more meaningful and therefore self-sustaining - that's when we see recruiters, for example, focusing on creating long term, sustainable partnerships with their customers, as opposed to just doing short term deals with them.

Your Stretch Zone

This is genuinely my favourite place to hang out. I love it here!

Setting ambitious yet realistic goals is another key to building drive. Your goals should stretch you out of your comfort zone but not to the point where they stress you out (aka "the panic zone") so remain attainable with effort.

Achieving these milestones each day, chipping away at your stretch zone, provides an ever growing sense of accomplishment that reinforces your intrinsic motivation. That's why I always measure my runs in kms not miles, so I can break my larger objectives in a run down into smaller, manageable milestones (5kms) to create a steady rhythm of progress that keeps me moving forward. It's exactly the same in business, when we refer to running 90 day sprints towards an annual goal.

Additionally, this process taps into Pink’s principle of mastery, as each step forward you take, each new milestone you hit in that stretch zone, builds more confidence and competence.

Your Mindset

A growth mindset is essential in this whole thing - without it, you will be anchored.

Instead of fearing failure, driven individuals see setbacks as opportunities to learn and improve. That's what we refer to at TRN as the W3:

• W1: What went well in that last 90 day sprint?
• W2: What didn't go so well?
• W3: What will I do differently in the next 90 day sprint?

A growth mindset encourages personal resilience and bouncebackability (probably my favourite word of all time!), enabling people to recover quickly when things don't quite go to plan and maintain momentum - again, something a lot of people sadly found was lacking in their toolkit was therefore holding them back last year from achieving their true potential.

Developing habits that support continuous self-improvement, such as regular review and reflection, seeking (and accepting) feedback from our peers, and embracing that stretch zone (see above), ensures that drive remains a consistent force in all that you do.

Work. Life. Health. Everything.

When we are able to take ownership of our own personal learning and development throughout the stretch zone, when we can keep a level of consistency in how we respond (not react) to our circumstances, when we shake off the victim mentality and take accountability for everything that happens around us (good, bad and ugly), we not only stay engaged and committed, but we become truly driven.

... and that's what 2025 is all about. Drive.

Bring it on.

James (aka Ozy) x