Why Motivation Isn’t the Problem—and the Mental Fitness Skill That Actually Creates Change
We’ve all heard the advice: just stay motivated. But let’s be real—motivation fades. And when it does, most of us assume we’re the problem. According to bestselling author and master life coach Sarah Centrella, motivation isn’t the issue—it’s the outcome. The root of lasting change starts not with hype, but with your thinking.
In her new book, Think It: Train Your Thinking to Get the Life You Want, Centrella introduces mental fitness as a practical, sustainable skill. It’s not about pretending everything’s okay—it’s about learning how to guide your internal dialogue in a direction that feels believable and empowering, even when life isn’t playing nice.
The Myth of Motivation
Most of us wait for motivation to strike. And when it does? We ride the high—until it crashes. “You might hype yourself up with a burst of positive thoughts telling you it’s a great idea and that you can do it,” Centrella says. “But that kind of motivation is fleeting.”
We’ve all felt it. The initial glow of starting a new goal, followed by the quiet collapse of “meh” when results don’t show up fast enough. And then the guilt spiral begins. “Willpower can’t be built or sustained without a strong mental game,” she adds. “One that keeps you going after the initial motivation has worn off and you’re left with the real work of sticking it out.”
This is where her concept of mental fitness becomes the game-changer. It’s not about forcing yourself to try harder. It’s about training your brain to think differently—consistently.
So What Is Mental Fitness, Really?
Mental fitness isn’t about faking a smile or forcing positive vibes “To me, positive thinking is generic. It’s kind of like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.”
Instead, Centrella teaches a grounded practice of choosing thoughts that are rooted in both self-trust and reality. “Mental fitness is a skill set,” she explains. “It’s knowing what to tell yourself when you don’t feel fine, and learning how to turn your internal dialogue in the direction you want things to go.”
That includes replacing worst-case spirals with steady, believable truths. Like reminding yourself that one hard day doesn’t equal failure. Or that progress is happening—even if you can’t see it yet.“Learning how to switch out your thoughts like this is what creates long-term, lasting change.”
How to Interrupt a Thought Spiral (Without Silencing Yourself)
Here’s what happens for most of us: a triggering moment leads to a thought spiral. Anxiety says What if everything goes wrong? and we respond by either panicking—or gaslighting ourselves with a forced Everything’s fine.
Neither works.
“If I try to tell myself ‘you’re fine, everything’s fine,’ it will probably make me spiral even more,” she admits. “It definitely won’t stop the negative thoughts.” Instead, Centrella suggests shifting to something stabilizing and true. For example:
“I’m a strong performer. I know I’m a valuable asset to the company. Today feels hard, but that doesn’t mean my job is in jeopardy.”
That small shift helps regulate the nervous system and redirect the story playing in your mind. “You open a pathway to ease anxiety and move into more solution-based thinking.”
The Daily Practice That Keeps You Steady
Centrella doesn’t teach thought work as a crisis-only tool, but rather more of a daily discipline. “The decision is to use these tools proactively—to reduce the thoughts that trigger stress and anxiety before they take over.”
In Think It, she outlines seven tools for real-life moments—strategies that work whether you’re spiraling on the subway, stuck in self-doubt at your desk, or trying to sleep after a hard day.
The key is consistency. Not perfection.
The Sneaky Beliefs That Keep Even High Performers Stuck
You don’t have to be new to growth to get blocked by your beliefs. “There’s the fear that maybe we won’t be good at it,” Centrella says. “That maybe we just got lucky last time and our success isn’t sustainable. That other people are better than we are.”
She’s seen it everywhere—from CEOs to pro athletes to overachieving perfectionists who look “fine” from the outside. And the most common difference she notices? Women. Yup, it’s in the ladies.
“Women tend to doubt and question themselves far more than men do. Women often struggle to trust that past success is an indicator of future ability.” Her goal with clients—and readers—is to trace those doubts back to their roots. Once you know where they came from, you can start to rewrite the story.
Why Awareness Is the Breakthrough
Before you change a thought, you have to notice it. And that’s often the biggest shift of all. “That awareness helps uncover what the block truly is,” Centrella says. “And it’s different for everyone.” This isn’t about forcing better thoughts. It’s about creating enough space to choose something more useful. Something more you.
Think It isn’t just a book about mindset—it’s a reminder that your thoughts don’t have to be facts, and your patterns don’t have to be permanent.
Motivation may come and go, but mental fitness? That’s something you can build. “When you learn how to train your mindset… you begin to change your mental story, self-beliefs, and personal identity.”
So if we want to make change in our lives, we first have to Think It.
Now go pick up a copy of Sarah’s book and get all these amazing tips and tools for yourself!