“I start things but can’t stick with them—I want to make money online in Uganda, but my motivation keeps dying.”
If that feels like something you’ve whispered to yourself at midnight after closing yet another tab on ‘how to start an online business,’ you’re not alone. That’s not just a sentence—it’s a sigh. A quiet frustration that builds over time until it feels like the walls are closing in on your dreams.
Starting is easy. Starting is exciting. You get that rush—like maybe, just maybe, this is the thing that’ll change everything. You set up the website, watch two hours of tutorials, even make a to-do list in a brand-new notebook. But then… a week passes. Life kicks in. The excitement dims. And what started as fire becomes fog.
Let’s be honest—consistency sounds good on paper. But when you’re juggling school or work, family expectations, slow internet, maybe even no power for a day or two… “just be consistent” starts to feel like a cruel joke. Motivation doesn’t die because you’re lazy. It fades because you’re tired. Overwhelmed. Lonely in the journey.
There’s this myth out there that successful people are somehow more disciplined, more wired for commitment. But the truth? They’ve just built tiny systems that carry them when their willpower falls apart.
Picture this: trying to carry water in your hands across a field. That’s motivation. It slips through your fingers. Now imagine a bucket. That’s structure. That’s routine. It’s not glamorous, but it works.
So how do you build that “bucket” in a Ugandan context—where data isn’t cheap, where you might be hustling to keep up with responsibilities that others don’t even think about?
Start small. Seriously small. Maybe it’s waking up 30 minutes earlier just twice a week to study digital marketing. Maybe it’s creating content for your page on Sundays and scheduling it for the week. Maybe it’s just journaling what worked and what didn’t. The point is to give yourself something you can actually repeat—even when life gets chaotic.
Also, stop trying to “feel like it.” You won’t. Most of the time, you just won’t. But action creates energy. Not the other way around. Ever notice how once you finally start doing something, you start wanting to do it more? That’s the magic of momentum, and it starts with one step. One uncomfortable, not-very-fun step.
Another thing—talk to people. Find others who are on this path, even if they’re not doing the exact same thing. Online money-making can be isolating, especially when no one around you understands what “affiliate marketing” or “dropshipping” even means. Community won’t solve all your problems, but it makes the silence less loud.
You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t even have to be consistent every single day. You just need to keep returning. Keep showing up—scraped knees, missed deadlines, broken focus and all.
Some seasons will be full of momentum. Others will feel like walking through mud. Both are part of the journey.
And maybe… maybe the point isn’t to never fall off. Maybe it’s just to always find your way back.
