Maintaining Motivation: How Athletes Can Stay Driven Beyond the Hype

By Tony Silvio | Sports Mindset Coach Perth | Midas Mindset

Motivation is the fuel that ignites action—but what happens when the fire dies down?

Whether you’re an elite competitor or a weekend warrior, maintaining motivation is one of the most challenging parts of athletic performance. And yet, it’s also one of the most misunderstood.

Too often, we think motivation should feel like fireworks. But real motivation? It looks more like a slow burn.

As a High Performance Mindset Coach in Perth, I work with athletes of all levels through tailored Athletes Mental Skill Training Programs to help them stay focused, consistent, and hungry long after the initial excitement fades.

The Myth of Constant Motivation

We’ve been sold a lie: that motivation is something you should always feel. The reality? Even the most decorated athletes in the world have days when they don’t feel like showing up. The difference is, they show up anyway. Why?

Because they’ve built systems that don’t rely on feeling motivated.

This is the foundation of the Mindset Training for Athletes I deliver here in Perth. We focus on building habits, creating cues, and linking effort to identity.

5 Practical Ways to Maintain Motivation

1. Shift from Goals to Identity: Don’t just aim to "win a title." Aim to become the kind of person who trains daily, recovers well, and stays coachable. When your identity is aligned with your habits, motivation becomes a by-product.

2. Build Triggers Into Your Environment: Your gym shoes by the door. Your workout playlist queued. Your training bag packed the night before. These cues eliminate friction and build momentum, even on low-energy days.

3. Use Momentum, Not Mood: Mood is unreliable. Momentum is trainable. Start small. Show up even when you’re at 60%. This is something I teach in all our Athletes Mental Skill Training Courses in Perth.

4. Reflect, Don’t Ruminate: Journaling wins, tracking training patterns, and debriefing after games builds emotional resilience. Reflection creates growth. Rumination stalls it.

5. Reconnect to Your 'Why' Weekly: Motivation isn’t lost—it’s often buried. Revisit your reasons for training: pride, growth, teammates, challenge. This reminder is a mental reset button.

Case in Point: Midas Mindset in Action

A young state-level sprinter came to me flatlining in the middle of his season. The issue wasn’t skill—it was drive. We implemented micro-goals, accountability systems, and visualisation strategies. Within three weeks, his energy lifted. Within six, he PR’d in the 100m.

That’s the Midas Mindset Effect.

Final Word

Motivation will fade. But when athletes have the tools to bridge that gap—habits, identity, structure, and support—they don’t just survive slumps. They grow through them.

If you’re looking for tailored Sports Mindset Coaching in Perth, or want to explore a structured Athletes Mental Skill Training Program in Perth, reach out. Let’s make motivation your foundation, not your finish line.

Tony Silvio Sports Mindset Coach Perth

Founder, Midas Mindset

Helping athletes build mental strength that lasts