Why Does June Feel So Hard? 🌀

Does anyone else feel like June is a hump month? You know, sorta like Wednesdays—but instead of a single day, it’s thirty days of galumphing through a dip in energy, direction, and drive?

It’s not unusual for our energy to ebb and flow, but if you’re anything like me you want to have stamina to do all the things you want to do. So having a dip can be more than a bummer.

Now if you’re a regular Moonshot Mentor follower, you know that when we encounter something we’re not loving, we get curious and assess rather than judge ourselves harshly.

What’s the Root of the Problem? Motivation vs. Willpower

To move through a mid-year slump, you first need to know what kind of dip you're in.

Are you unmotivated—or just out of willpower?

Motivation = Why You Want to Do It

Motivation is your internal reason for taking action. It’s the part of you that answers, “Why do I care?”

• Comes from your values, desires, or goals

• Can be intrinsic (meaning, purpose) or extrinsic (money, approval)

• Fluctuates with your mood, context, or stress levels

Example: You're motivated to finish your script because you believe in the story and want to see it on screen.

Willpower = Your Ability to Push Through

Willpower is what helps you take action when motivation isn’t there. You might think of it as self-control, discipline, commitment, dedication or persistence.

• Depletes over time, like a battery

• Relies on conscious effort

• Often steps in when motivation runs low

Example: You revise the script even when you're tired and tempted to scroll Instagram.

How They Work Together

Think of motivation as the spark, and willpower as the engine. Motivation gets you going. Willpower keeps you going when it gets hard.

Danger: Over-relying on willpower alone usually leads to burnout. The key is to regularly renew motivation so you don’t have to white-knuckle your way through everything.

So ask yourself, am I still excited by my current goals or am I experiencing fatigue in their pursuit?

If It’s a Motivation Issue

If your energy is low because the goal itself doesn’t excite you anymore, here are a few reflection questions that can help:

1. Does my goal honor my values or someone else’s?
We sometimes commit to goals because they align with external expectations, not our own truth.

I’ve seen this with clients who chose a course of study because it’s what their parents wanted for them. One example is my client Amy—she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her career, so she became a paralegal because it seemed steady, paid well and made her parents happy.

2. What’s changed since you set this goal?
New data, life events, or emotional fatigue can shift your capacity or priorities.

My client Robert planned to spend the year writing a novel—but after losing his home in the LA fires, his emotional bandwidth was consumed by grief and logistics. He didn’t fall out of love with writing. He was simply depleted.

3. Is your goal actually a moonshot?
Big dreams are beautiful. But they require baby steps, support systems, rest, and room to adjust. Without that, even the most exciting vision can start to feel overwhelming or out of reach.

Liza realized she’d lost momentum on starting her business because the vision she created didn’t leave space for learning curves, reflection, or celebrating small wins. Once she broke things down into achievable steps and started acknowledging all progress, her motivation returned.

If It’s a Willpower Issue

If you’re still committed to the goal but feel drained every time you try to work on it, you may be dealing with a willpower crash—not a lack of ambition.

Here’s how to rebuild it:

1. Create Systems, Not Just Goals
Willpower isn’t sustainable by itself. But systems—like routines, habits, or built-in accountability—can carry you when motivation lags.

Instead of “write more,” try a weekly writing date with a friend.

2. Audit Your Energy Drains
What’s silently zapping your energy? Sleep, food, emotional labor, decision fatigue—it all adds up.

You may not need more grit. You may need more rest or support.

3. Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection
Perfectionism is a willpower killer. Momentum builds when you honor even the smallest forward motion.

“I showed up today. That counts.”

Bottom Line

If June feels like a hump month (going on forever, super heavy, and impossible to get through) don’t muscle through. Make a smart, strategic move: pause and get curious. Ask what’s really going on. Maybe your goal needs to shift. Maybe your system needs a reset. Or maybe you need rest.

Mid-year is a natural checkpoint to interrogate the hump.

Before You Go

If motivation and willpower are feeling tangled up with money stress, you’re not alone—and there’s help on the horizon.

My friend, trauma informed financial wellness coach

Katy Chen Mazzara

, is hosting a powerful, interactive workshop called The Money Blocks Workshop on Friday, June 27.

In this workshop, Katy will help you uncover your deeply-rooted money stories, identify the patterns holding you back, and replace them with practical strategies to unlock your potential. You'll discover why those unconscious beliefs, often intensified after professional disappointments, might be keeping you stuck. This could be the fear of taking financial risks again, the feeling that you're not worthy of the success you once had, or the invisible barrier that prevents you from rebuilding your career with greater confidence and purpose.

Sign up for The Money Blocks Workshop Here!

Journal Prompts

If June has you feeling stuck, scattered, or out of steam, these prompts are here to help. For paid Moonshot Mentor subscribers, they’re designed to bring clarity to what’s fueling your mid-year slump—and what might help you move forward with more ease and intention.