Your Goals Still Matter from a Melbourne Therapist

phoebelau
3 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 21 hours ago

When Motivation Starts to Fade

As the year winds down, many people quietly think, “I thought I’d be further along by now.” Maybe you started strong. New habits, clear goals, solid plans. But somewhere between then and now, life got busy. Things shifted. And that’s okay.

Progress doesn’t always look exciting. Often, it’s slow, quiet, and a bit unglamorous. It’s about steady effort, not perfection. It’s about showing up, even when you don’t feel like it.

The end of the year isn’t a finish line—it’s a checkpoint. A chance to pause, reflect, and notice how far you’ve come. You haven’t failed. You’re still growing, even if it feels slow.

Why Change Feels Slow (And Why That’s Normal)

We live in a world that celebrates quick results. “30-day challenges.” “6-week transformations.” So when your progress takes longer, it’s easy to feel frustrated or defeated.

But the truth? Real change takes time.

Our brains love novelty, so motivation naturally fades after the initial burst of excitement. That’s when consistency matters most. The small, repeated actions like journalling once a week, walking on tired days, reaching out for support are what create lasting results.

Progress isn’t a straight line. Some weeks you move forward. Other weeks, it’s about holding steady. Both matter.

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Gentle Ways to Stay Motivated from a Melbourne Therapist

1. Redefine Success

Ask yourself: What does progress look like for me right now? It might not be ticking every box. Sometimes success is showing up. Sometimes it’s doing one small thing that aligns with your values. That counts too.

2. Celebrate the Micro-Wins

Small steps are often overlooked, but they’re the foundation of growth. Made your bed? Progress. Sent the email you’ve been putting off? Progress. Booked that therapy session? Progress.

Each step adds up, even if it doesn’t feel like much at the time.

3. Rest, Don’t Quit

When motivation drops, your body might be asking for rest, not discipline. Take a pause. Do something soothing. Then start again, gently. Rest is productive when it helps you sustain change.

4. Reconnect With Your ‘Why’

When a goal loses its shine, come back to what’s underneath it. Why did you want this in the first place? Maybe it’s not about the goal itself, but about what it represents such as freedom, calm, balance, or confidence. Let that guide you again.

How Our Melbourne Psychologists Can Support You

At The Inner Collective, our team of Melbourne Clinical Psychologists helps people who feel stuck, burnt out, or disconnected from their goals. We know that motivation isn’t constant. It ebbs and flows.

Using therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Schema Therapy, we help you shift focus from perfection to progress. You’ll learn how to stay connected to your values, regulate emotions, and keep momentum, even when change feels slow.

Our psychologists in Melbourne CBD offer a warm, non-judgemental space to explore what’s getting in the way—and find practical ways to move forward.