When Tom first came to me, he was running a successful fitness business on paper, fully booked, strong reputation, great results for his clients. But behind the scenes, he was running on empty.
He told me he was waking up exhausted, struggling to make decisions, feeling disconnected from the business he’d once been so excited to build. He was questioning whether he wanted to keep going at all.
I could see straight away this wasn’t about laziness or a lack of ambition. It was burnout – underneath which there was a mindset that had shifted from focused and intentional to overwhelmed and disconnected.
This wasn’t about more strategy, that wouldn’t have worked. First, we had to bring him back to himself.
Here’s what we worked on together:
- Reconnecting with his purpose
Tom had started his business for a reason but in the day-to-day chaos, he’d lost touch with that. We went right back to the beginning. Who he wanted to help, why he cared so much, what kind of life he wanted to create for himself. - Tracking his progress
I suggested he start journaling, just briefly each day. Not for content, not to overanalyse, simply to notice. What felt good? What drained him? What tiny win could he name, even on the hard days? Over time, this gave him perspective. It softened the self-doubt and built some much needed momentum. - Simplifying his goals
Tom had been piling pressure on himself with ambitious targets, but no space to actually enjoy the work. We broke everything down. What was essential? What could wait? He chose one clear weekly goal and stuck to it. That sense of achievement came back, not because he was doing more, but because he was finally doing what mattered. - Prioritising rest
This was a big one. Like many business owners, Tom saw rest as something he’d earned after the work was done but the work was never done. I helped him create space in his week for actual recovery and to treat that rest as part of the work. Slowly, his energy returned.
It didn’t take a huge transformation. It took clarity and consistency. Within a few months, Tom had rebuilt his motivation from the inside out. He was showing up with purpose again. He wasn’t hustling harder, he was building a business that finally felt good to run.
That’s the work I do with every client.
Motivation comes from mindset. It comes from staying connected to your purpose, creating space to think, and building habits that support your energy instead of drain it.
If you’re where Tom was, know this: you don’t need fixing. You just need to come back to yourself. That’s where your motivation lives. And that’s where we begin.
And, if you want some 1:1 help with this, reach out to me via email philippa@holdmyhandcoaching.com – we can work on this together.
Until next time,
Best wishes
Philippa x