End-of-Summer Blues + 50 Ideas for Motivation

I’ve been inundated with articles (here, here, and here) on how to motivate yourself out of the end-of-summer blues—as if the beginning of autumn automatically makes us depressed.

I don’t get it. Weather is just weather, and seasons are a natural part of life.

Why worry about a little rain? Just get the right gear and keep going.

But if you really need to generate some extra energy this autumn, here are 50 ideas for motivation (Fall 2024 edition):

50 IDEAS FOR MOTIVATION

1. Work on self-awareness. Realize that life has no inherent meaning—you create your own. This will give you a sense of control over your life. And if you’re the one shaping your reality, why waste time when you could be creating something amazing?
2. Become afraid—afraid of wasting your one precious life.
3. Come up with a major purpose or mission.
4. Start. You don’t climb a mountain by sitting at base camp.
5. Understand how your actions positively impact others and how you make a difference in their lives.
6. Life is happening now. Is living a small, boring, and depressing life really what you want? Are you sure?
7. Imagine you’re 90 years old and never did the thing you wanted to do in the fall of 2024. Would it bother you? So what are you waiting for?
8. Revisit your goals. Do they still feel like they truly belong to you?
9. Understand your “Why.”
10. Set a big, bold, juicy goal. Big goals often feel more realistic because our brains don’t focus on obstacles (check out the Construal Level Theory). Big goals expand your horizons and push you to learn new tools and skills. You grow into a new person.
11. Focus. Remember, you only have 2,920 working hours annually to work on your goals. That’s not much. So why waste time searching for motivation when you could be taking action?
12. Take a break. Could it just be burnout?
13. Fulfill a childhood dream.
14. Start a collection.
15. Commit to something publicly (if you start training now, you could be in shape for the LA marathon next March—just saying).
16. Use AI to create a motivational speech from your personal hero. Imagine Einstein telling you that you’re the smartest person alive and that the world needs you to finish that research.
17. Filter the news. Negativity drains your energy.
18. Cut out energy drainers—like endless scrolling on IG, Netflix binges, or daily alcohol-fueled gossiping.
19. Stop making excuses that you lack motivation. No one cares.
20. Surround yourself with people who support your goals.
21. Create a list of your “failures.” Get a good bottle of wine. Brood over your list. Burn the list. Breathe in regrets-free air.
22. Promise yourself to do at least one important task each day. Even if you have no energy, you can handle one task. Believe in yourself.
23. Sign up to improve a skill you already have. Watch yourself get better at it. Feel confident and proud.
24. Stick to a healthy routine that works for you. “Routine” is a key word here.
25. Start listening to yourself to understand what brings you joy.
26. Begin doing those things that bring you joy. Shift from “Have to” to “Want to.” If you experience joy, you’re less likely to quit.
27. Just do what needs to be done. Disregard your emotions.
28. Do a bit more than you planned. Reward yourself.
29. Meet people who are far ahead of you to get inspired.
30. Know your hourly rate—you’ll stop wasting time on unimportant things.
31. Look at a map. The world is waiting for you. Do something adventurous.
32. Hit the gym.
33. Make up a competitor. Act as if you’re competing to win.
34. Follow the hot air balloon principle: to gain altitude, you need to drop weight. Get rid of toxic people. Cut the whining and complaining out of your life.
35. Spend a day without your cell phone. Listen to your thoughts. Maybe you’ll come up with a new idea to pursue.
36. Talk to yourself. Ask what motivates you, and then act on it.
37. Say no—to things you don’t want to do, to people you don’t want to see, and to that family gathering you couldn’t care less about.
38. Spell out a step-by-step plan. Promise yourself you’ll follow it.
39. Get a new crowd. New people expose you to new ideas.
40. Do less. Narrow down your priorities: work, fitness, family. Simplifying will free up energy.
41. Get moving. That releases endorphins.
42. Finish the unfinished tasks on your list. It’ll free up space for new beginnings.
43. Write a “Letter to Future Me.” Get inspired.
44. Do something you’re afraid of. I was afraid of snakes. I made myself go to the terrarium at the SF Zoo and just stood there crying until I realized
45. they’re just a bunch of cuties in glass boxes. I felt like a winner, ready to swim across the Bosphorus.
46. Get curious. Try a new version of yourself for fun. Explore a new religion, diet, or fashion choices. Change your hair color. Get a pet.
47. Write an “Awesome Me” list. You’ll see how incredible you already are, and you’ll want to become even better.
48. Take inventory of your morning thoughts. Swap negative ones for positive. Your brain will follow your lead. Yes, you can, with practice it gets easy enough.
49. Embrace “good enough.” It’s okay not to feel motivated all the time. Mediocrity is still far better than complete misery.
50. Do nothing for a while. Hopefully, you’ll get bored enough to finally get off the sofa.
51. When your parents decided to have a baby, and one sperm cell out of 300 million became you, you were given a unique chance to spend ~90 years on this planet. It’s like the entire population of the United States decided to run that LA Marathon with you, and you won! Think about how lucky you are. And you’re complaining? About seasonal changes? About lack of energy? About not having enough motivation? How dare you?

Live. Live. Live.

Every day is an opportunity for a new adventure.

You never know when it will be your last.

Be grateful.

Keep climbing.

P.S. Send me your motivation hacks, and I’ll add them to the next edition.

About the author: 

Olga Koroleva is a founder and CEO of Capital Brain, a company that builds AI-powered products. She is also a high-altitude mountaineer who likes to climb mountains with double-digit death rates, University lecturer, and a public speaker on leadership and risk taking. Sign up to her self-leadership newsletter at https://capitalbrain.co/blog/