Podcast Summary: "How to Stay Motivated When You Fail"

Podcast: Motivation with Brendon Burchard
Host: Brendon Burchard
Date: September 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brendon Burchard explores the crucial mindset and habits needed to stay motivated and resilient, especially after experiencing failure. Drawing on personal stories, research insights, and actionable strategies, Brendon guides listeners through foundational steps for starting new endeavors, building daily motivation rituals, and navigating setbacks with grace, intention, and renewed commitment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance of Starting Well

• Learning Mindset: Starting a dream or project with the expectation of imperfection and a willingness to iterate is key.
  • “Starting a dream well is starting from the learning mindset, knowing that it's not going to be perfect, knowing that you're going to test and iterate and innovate.” [00:00]
• Resilience in the Face of Judgment:
  • Recognize that others may judge early efforts or compare your beginnings to their milestones, but self-compassion is essential.
• Own Your Routine: Brendon shares his personal morning routine (20 minutes movement, 20 minutes reading, 20 minutes planning) but emphasizes that everyone should craft routines that work for their lives and values.
  • “Whatever your thing is, you don't have to have mine, you need yours.” [06:09]
• Consistency Matters: The routines you stick to are more important than what anyone prescribes.
  • “I've tried lots of different types… but I didn't stick to them. For me, I like to stretch and move in the morning.” [07:55]

2. Intentional Beginnings in Projects and Relationships

• Project Clarity: Before acting, clarify your desired outcomes and intentions, and set personal rules to guide your completion and enjoyment.
  • “As you begin a new project, take a step back and ask: what are the outcomes I’m after?” [13:58]
• Healthy Conflict Starts: Entering relationship conflict with respect, openness, and shared intention lays a foundation for constructive growth instead of destruction.
  • “…make sure in any argument you start it well, with respect, with tender or open tonality, with giving the other person time to talk.” [15:21]

3. Avoiding Comparison and Perfectionism

• Don’t start with the idea that you must be perfect, gain instant momentum, or match someone else’s accomplishments.
• “Most people moving towards any given major ambition or goal often fail to start well because… they had to be perfect… they would be disappointed if they didn't get quick momentum.” [17:30]
• Instead, approach with self-grace, learning, and patience.

4. Daily Remotivation and Commitment Practices

• Commitment Requires Daily Renewal:
  • “The necessity of daily remotivation… There was an initial spark of motivation, but a lot of people don't stay committed.” [23:45]
  • Visualizing and recommitting to goals each day maintains long-term motivation.
• Journaling and Mindset Rituals: Brendon consistently uses journaling and the GrowthDay app to reignite his ambition daily.
  • “Every day since 2017, I fill those out… Even just being slightly intentional each day can really change your day.” [26:11]

5. Attentional Control & Focus

• What You Attend to Grows:
  • Commitment is reflected in your time allocation. If it matters, it’s in your calendar.
  • “If we're really committed to something, it shows up on our calendar. If we're really committed to something, we avoid the distractions…” [31:13]
• Battling Distraction: Recognize the pull of modern technology and intentionally direct focus to your priorities.

6. Social Service and Social Stakes

• Build in Accountability:
  • Sharing your goals with friends, communities, or the public creates positive social pressure and accountability.
  • “Many of you will do more for others than you’ll do for yourself. So use that psychology to help you be committed…” [35:40]
• Contribution Increases Commitment: Attaching your efforts to service or impact beyond yourself provides sustainable energy for your commitments.

7. Anticipating and Regulating Through Failure

• Failure is Inevitable and Manageable:
  • High performers anticipate setbacks and pre-plan their response and self-talk during tough times.
  • “You have to choose how you regulate your emotions… when you do fail.” [39:19]
• Prepare for the Low Points: Visualize tough scenarios and how you’ll handle them (e.g., feeling exhausted midway in a marathon).
  • “Visualize what you’re going to say to yourself when you want to quit, when you see people passing you, when you’re exhausted…” [40:28]
• Self-Compassion in Struggle: Recommit daily, give yourself grace, and focus on progress over perfection.
  • “Even if it’s not going right, you’re going to honor yourself, give yourself some grace, realize that this day you can set your mindset again.” [45:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Starting Any Journey:
  • “As we start this dream, I’ll give myself time and patience. I’ll give myself grace. I’ll allow myself to learn.” [03:15]
• On Daily Commitment:
  • “Commitment doesn’t just happen to us. It’s something that we have to generate and summon, just like a positive mindset.” [22:40]
• On Attentional Control:
  • “The world’s best engineers are working on one thing: stealing your attention and focus each day because they can monetize it…” [32:14]
• On Social Accountability:
  • “If you ever see me and I’m not practicing, if I'm out of shape, if you ever hear me be rude, call me out on that. Don’t let me fall off of my commitments and my dreams.” [36:12]
• On Handling Low Points:
  • “When you’re in those moments where it doesn’t feel like it’s going well… this is the time to teach yourself and train yourself. Okay, what am I going to do?” [43:50]
• Final Encouragement:
  • “You and I both know every day is a great day to grow.” [46:40]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Starting from a Learning Mindset: [00:00 – 04:00]
• Morning Routine Discussion: [04:30 – 09:00]
• How to Start Projects and Relationships Well: [13:15 – 17:00]
• Pitfalls of Perfectionism and Comparison: [17:10 – 18:50]
• Daily Motivation and Commitment Rituals: [23:45 – 29:00]
• Attentional Focus and Distraction: [31:00 – 33:00]
• Leveraging Social Service and Accountability: [35:00 – 38:30]
• Regulating Through and After Failure: [39:15 – End]

Key Takeaways

• Begin any new journey with grace, patience, and a commitment to learning rather than a need for perfection.
• Daily rituals—journaling, planning, reviewing goals—are vital for keeping motivation alive through inevitable ups and downs.
• Commitment is a practice, not a feeling. Intentionally rekindle your reasons “why” every single day.
• Social connection—either through service or accountability - can help you follow through when your own motivation wanes.
• Prepare for adversity. Plan how you will respond to failure before it arrives, and commit to compassionately picking yourself back up.
• Ultimately, every day is a renewed opportunity for growth, regardless of yesterday’s failures or setbacks.

Brendon’s Closing Encouragement:
“Every day is a great day to grow.” [46:40]
Let today be the day you recommit to your dreams, no matter what.