How to Overcome the Fleeting Nature of Motivation and Willpower to Achieve Your Goals Anyway

Hey, welcome back to another episode of the 5% Way Podcast with your host, Paul Salter and the wonderful Micheala Barsotti.

Micheala Barsotti:

What’s going on, guys?

Paul Salter:

Yes. Micheala, so excited to finally get to do a true joint episode together here on, I guess, what we’ll call, the first or the second official episode here with the 5% Way Podcast. As we did a couple fun behind the scenes episodes talking about the new direction of the show, gave our listeners some insight in and opportunity to get to know you more.

But today, we actually dive into some nitty gritty teaching and some harsh truths. And we are going to specifically talk today about the fact that motivation and willpower simply aren’t enough, if you want to sustain significant results. And instead, what you actually need to focus on. And I’m really excited to blend some personal, relatable stories from myself, as well as you, during this episode. And ultimately end with some tangible action steps and concrete steps people can take to actually take this knowledge, apply it to their life, so they don’t continue to rely on willpower and motivation.

But before we dive in today, it’s Monday, December 13th, as we are recording this episode. It happens to be the last day to sign up for the 5% Fundamentals Program at a discounted price. And a lot of questions that both Micheala and myself have been getting here the last few weeks are, can you clarify the difference between the two programs? I’m interested in one, but don’t know which one to choose. Here’s what I’m struggling with. Which program would be a better fit for me? So we thought it would be a great opportunity right now, to spend a minute or two just differentiating the 5% Fundamentals Program and the 5% Community so that everybody has a better idea.

And to kick things off, I’ll go ahead and lead with, what is the 5% Fundamentals Program? And well, this is truly a three month introductory crash course to becoming your own nutrition coach, so to speak, really becoming empowered and educated. And also, simultaneously confident in taking back control with the utmost certainty and inner calm of how, when, what, and of course, why to make specific nutrition changes before a diet. How to actually build a nutrition blueprint or plan that is unique to you and simple, and of course, sustainable. And then, how to make the most appropriate changes during an actual dieting phase while still keeping priority number one top of mind, which of course, is adherence or compliance. And then what changes, when to make them, how to make them, and why to make them after a diet so you can actually sustain your progress.

And this program is really designed to dig into some of the nitty gritty science and to draw upon Micheala and I’s collective work with nearly 2000 men and women together to show you what we have learned and to help you differentiate between optimal and practical. And what is actually optimal for you so that you can truly take back control of your food choices, do so in a way that allows you to augment your portions, your feelings, your energies, your weight, your performance, your physique, and so much more with the utmost confidence.

And Micheala, I’ll allow you to further share with the listeners, what’s the 5% Community all about?

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah. So the community does all of that too, but we really start to dive more into the emotional and psychological aspects to kind of knock those self-sabotaging behaviors that you have. So, this is really for that person that… we all say we know what to do, but this person maybe does have a really strong understanding of their knowledge of nutrition. But they still have those limiting beliefs, the self-sabotaging behaviors holding them back. So they know what to do to take action, they just can’t get themselves to do it consistently.

Paul Salter:

Yeah. I love it. It’s truly your opportunity to have your sustainable weight loss transformation from the inside out. Whereas the fundamentals program, is very much meeting people a little earlier in their journey, getting them acclimated with the confidence, the knowledge, the resources necessary to take charge and take back control of their food choices, whether it’s before, during, or after a diet.

So if you have any questions about those, you know you can always DM Micheala or myself on Instagram. We’ve got our profiles and handles in the show notes for you. Send us an email as well. Whatever’s easiest for you. And we will gladly answer any questions that you have.

But today, I want to talk all things motivation and willpower. And really dig into explaining to you and sharing what the science says and what Micheala and I have both learned about why you cannot, and we cannot rely on motivation and willpower alone, if we want to achieve truly significant and sustainable results. So to kick things off today, Micheala, I would love for you to really set the tone for us and give us a foundational overview on the difference between willpower and motivation, so we can take this and then build off of it as the conversation flows.

Micheala Barsotti:

Sure. So willpower, the way I like to explain it is, it’s really just the ability to resist short term temptations in the moment. You have that long term plan in your head and in that moment, you’re able to pass on something that maybe doesn’t align with your goals. And I’m sure we’ll get… we’ll dive into this at great length, but the problem with willpower, you always hear people say that, it’s like a muscle. But the more that you flex the muscle, the more fatigued it gets, right?

So if you think about maybe cookies are your temptation, you’re really trying to lay off of them. If you always have them around, you’re putting yourself in situations where you continuously have to make the choice whether you are going to have a cookie or not. So over time, it just gets to the point where you do get fatigued and we tend to cave a lot more.

Whereas motivation, that’s that feeling, the desire to be better. And so with this, again, very similar to willpower, it comes and it goes. Motivation, it will show up and it’s great, but it’s just only going to last so long. We really need to have a deeper connection rather than just that motivation in the moment to keep us going.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it was so well said. And I like to also point out too, the way they happen in a sequence or journey of events is, what we’re motivated by something. And typically we start daydreaming or envisioning this future of feeling better. And remember, everything we strive to accomplish is all rooted enough feeling. We either want to gain a new feeling or get rid of this current feeling, replace it with another one. So, motivation is that first thing to strike. And it literally strikes like a bolt of lightning. It is gone quicker than a blink of an eye.

But if you do take even a little bit of action, you create an opportunity where you can begin to start relying on your willpower. So, it’s motivation first. And if you do have a decent foundation of willpower or strength built up and maybe some willpower endurance, you can rely on willpower to get you over those first inevitable few humps until you do get in a groove of momentum or consistency. But as all of us, myself and Micheala included, know that usually only lasts so long, unless you have a few other elements in place that are truly essential, foundational elements to helping you see a goal through until the very end.

And kind of as Micheala alluded to when she was explaining a little bit more about the 5% Community, there’s this process of integration where it’s knowing what to do. Then it’s actually doing it consistently. And then the final stage is becoming that or embodying that type of lifestyle. And knowing what to do is one thing. We all know relatively, almost everything about what we need to do to lose weight, keep it off. Doing it is a whole nother beast. But the right motivation and a decent amount of willpower can help you get from the knowing to the acting. But ultimately, ascending to the being and making sure that your consistency is sustainable, that’s where many people really begin to fall off. And success begins to fade before they ultimately revert back to their old ways because they’re missing some of those concrete elements we’re going to discuss.

And I really think it’s a unique story that keeps playing in my life over and over again, that I wanted to bring to this episode. And Micheala, correct me if I’m wrong. You’ve completed 75 Hard, right?

Micheala Barsotti:

I have, yes.

Speaker 2:

Okay. So if you listeners… if you are not familiar with what 75 Hard is, it’s a lifestyle upgrade, program upgrade, if you will, to just be the best version of yourself that was created by Andy Frisella. It’s not a diet program, but for 75 days, you need to eat per some type of nutrition plan. The goal does not have to be weight loss though, so please keep that in mind. Not a diet program. So you’ve got to follow a nutrition plan. You’ve got to drink a gallon of water a day, read 10 pages, take a progress photo. No alcohol or cheat meals. And then you have to do two 45 minute workouts per day with one of them being outside.

So, I’ve personally done this twice, Micheala’s done it once. But I’ve noticed this series of events happening in my life lately, where there’s been a lot of chaos. And every time there’s chaos in my life, I always gravitate towards structure and control. And 75 Hard was a good outlet for me when I had… when I remember I was moving from one end of the country to the other, preparing to go on a trip to Europe, and I just needed something I could like latch on and control too, because there were so many elements in my life I couldn’t control.

And over the last three months, I think at least a dozen times in at least three different books, something in a book has sparked me to write a note, “You should start 75 Hard again. You should do 75 Hard again.” And for me, obviously in that moment, the motivation was high because like mentioned earlier, motivation is all about a desire to feel better or be better. And it’s always rooted in achieving a different feeling than the feeling we have now.

But here I am three months, three plus books later, I still haven’t started 75 Hard. So although that motivation has come and not only has it come once, it’s come at least a dozen times, here I am still sitting on the sidelines, not having taken action. And the reason being, it’s not that I don’t have willpower. It’s not that my motivation was fake or wrong, is it didn’t have some of the other core elements in place to actually help me begin building a foundation of habits and an approach and a plan to actually see that goal through to the end. And Micheala, I’m curious, is there something that comes to mind in your life where you are finding just a relatable story where the motivation was there, but not much else was there in order to help you achieve that goal?

Micheala Barsotti:

It’s funny, because the first thing that comes to mind, I was just talking about this on my story this morning, is showing up more on social media. It was something for me that I just… I wanted to start putting out content. And in the moment I’d start thinking about it and get really fired up. I’d be excited that I wanted to do it. But I didn’t have any sort of an action plan. And I really didn’t have a strong enough reason as to why I even wanted to show up in the first place. So on days that I didn’t feel like showing up, I didn’t. And so yeah, that’s kind of what I think of.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. I totally get that. It’s been so fun to watch your transformation over the year. I remember when you first shared with me, “I want to be active on social media.” I was like, “Cool. What does that mean?” You’re like, “I don’t know. Let me think about that and get back to you.” And here we are a year later.

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So I think it’s important for the listeners to recognize, having these huge boluses or experience of motivation is very common, because again, behind the scale number, behind even the body comp measurement, the performance goal in the gym, we’re always chasing a feeling. And motivation is going to arise, particularly during those times where we’re not feeling good, when we’re not feeling our best due to a pattern of events or an event or experience that was beyond our control or even within our control. Ultimately, we’re going to have this deep passion or desire to feel better. And we’re going to have an idea enter our conscious or enter our environment in which be like, “Hey, that is the solution to begin feeling better.”

But usually, that’s where the idea stays. It lives and it dies right there in a matter of seconds, maybe minutes, hours, maybe even days or weeks. And I’m sure many of you listeners have things in your mind right now that come to top of mind, not to be redundant, about things you said you were going to do or wish you had done when the motivation struck. But you didn’t take action for one reason or another. And one of those reasons probably being, you didn’t know what the next course of action was or what those foundational elements were.

So Micheala, when a client or 5%er comes to you sharing a goal, which they often obviously do when they join our program, what is one of the first areas you really redirect their focus and attention on to help them with their goal attainment process?

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah. I think that the first thing is, getting extremely clear on why that goal is so important to them. And this one, I… a lot of people need to spend a lot of time here. We often think we know what our why is and what our reasoning for wanting to achieve whatever it is. But we need to spend some time so we can peel back layers and really uncover why that is so important to us.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. And I almost find that exercise, it actually changes the wording of our goal. Our goal and our motivation usually begins with, “I want to blank.” But when we do the deep work on the why, I often find that that want can be substituted with, “I need to.” Now it becomes a need that is deeply rooted, emotionally charged because it is connected to some internal or external component of your life that is rooted in you feeling better in one way, shape, or form. So, having clarity of your why is so incredibly important.

And it reminds me too, I was writing down in my journal the other day, all these things I want to accomplish. It’s almost the turn of the new year. I’ve got that new year’s resolution frequency, high vibing going on. I’m like, “Okay, what’s going to happen.” I’ve just turned 30, new decade, new chapter. And it was funny, I can easily write down 30 to 50 things I want to do.

And then I go back and I start to filter through the list again. I’m like, “Okay, I’m motivated to do all these, but why do I want to do them?” And half of them it’s like, “Oh, that sounds cool. That would be cool.” And it’s just surface level bullshit that it is a temporary high that isn’t really in line with who I am or where I want to be. It just… It sounds cool and that’s that. There’s no clear why for wanting to achieve it. So I was quickly able to update that list from, let’s say, 50 items, down to about maybe 12 to 14 that I actually have a clear why behind wanting to accomplish.

So step one, when it comes to really filtering out all of the doses of motivation you get exposed to on a regular basis is, which ones can you stop and start to gain clarity on when it comes to why you want to do it? How can you upgrade that desire to a need, just a personally, emotionally charge need? Because when you can do that, woo, now you start to upgrade your mindset. You start to become, what we like to call, unfuckwithable because now you’re so clear on your why, you could always fall back on it, even when the going gets tough. And most people do quit or throw in the towel when they first experience the going getting tough. But having that clear why makes it far more likely you’re going to overcome those first few challenges.

Anything to add to that, Micheala?

Micheala Barsotti:

No, that’s good.

Speaker 2:

Awesome. So, we talked a little bit about motivation. It comes like a bolt of lightning. And then we got to really bring into the equation, the next component that is so grossly over discussed and misunderstood, which is this concept of willpower. Or the ability to resist short term temptations in order to meet long term goals.

And speaking here as a male, I’m going to call out all the male listeners here. Men are notorious for being stubborn, really leading and thinking with their ego. And we think, for lack of better words, not to say women don’t think like this, that we can just muscle through anything. And we have all the willpower in the world. We could bench press 500 pounds and we have the willpower to outlast anybody. When the truth is, we absolutely don’t, [inaudible 00:17:26] man or woman, whoever is listening.

And as Micheala shared with us, this is definitely like a muscle and that, yes, you can train your willpower. But the more you use it, the quicker it fatigues and you’re left with nothing, which is why you get home at 7:30 on a Wednesday after you just dropped your kids off at practice. And the only thing you can muster up the energy to do, is to say, “yes” to the box of cookies that is sitting there right on the kitchen counter. You have no mental or emotional energy left to actually say, “no” and stay on your goals.

And one of the reasons that willpower is so finite, it doesn’t matter if you are consistently working on it in other ways, which you absolutely can do. But if you don’t have that why, I mean, can you see how not having the clarity on why you want to do something can have a negative impact on willpower? You have no reason to make decision A versus decision B because you’re not clear on why it’s going to have an impact or how it’s going to have an impact on the goal it is that you are working for. So the why is absolutely imperative. But ultimately, continuing to rely on this willpower is very energetically costly. You find yourself in a position day in and day out, which you’re just draining precious mental, emotional, and literal physical energy, trying to say, “no.”

So Micheala, what have you found best in all of your years of coaching and working with people and groups and individual settings to help set them up for success where they don’t have to rely on willpower?

Micheala Barsotti:

Number one is, setting up your environment. It’s so important that you really scope out what’s around you and control what you can control. If you are trying to eat less cookies in the evening, don’t have cookies around in the evening to even present that opportunity for… or to give yourself that opportunity. But I think too, that identifying moments of weakness. So already planning ahead and thinking about, “What are these moments of weakness for myself and how can I create behaviors to combat that?”

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. So, give us an example. Let’s say we’re talking to a mother, father, parent of two. And let’s go ahead and ride with that cookie example there. They know that cookies are going to be in the house because they have kids. They don’t want to… They want their kids to have that lifestyle as well, where they get to indulge on occasion because they are kids. But the cookies are in the house. What are some tips you could offer someone in that position to set themselves up for the most success possible to have an environment that promotes them staying on their plan with their goals?

Micheala Barsotti:

So one thing I think of, right off the bat, because I had a client who actually did this years back, but she had a bunch of treats in the house. And she was really trying to stay away from them. Her weakness was at night after the kids went to bed. That’s when she’d go in that junk drawer and grab all of these treats. So, she actually put a lock on the cabinet at nighttime. And so, it’s creating a barrier. And we’ve talked about this before in the community. But when you create a barrier, it gives yourself enough time to become more mindful and present in the moment so that you can realize, “Is this the decision I want to make right now?”

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Micheala Barsotti:

And I think that’s really important.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I agree. It’s like, I also like to use the word, it’s a pattern interrupt, because everything that you’re doing, if we use this example with the cookies every night after the kids go to bed, that is a routine or a habit that has become so ingrained that you’re not even thinking about it until after the fact. And now if you have that awareness, that’s fantastic. But even doing something as tiny as putting a lock on, or making yourself read a sticky note that’s on the pantry, or drink 20 ounces of water before you go indulge in the cookies, that’s what we call a pattern interrupt. And it creates an opportunity where you now have an extra split second, or five, to think.

And that thinking goes a long way, because like I said, habits are automated. You’re not thinking. So if you can create an opportunity to think, you can then insert, “Oh yeah, my why is this. This behavior does not align with achieving the goal I have just outlined my why for. Therefore, I should pivot my behavior and try to do something else.” So any way you can add a pattern interrupt like a lock, like a sticky note with your why or your goal is on that junk drawer or that pantry, really can be a tiny, yet powerful game changing action step to help you not have to go to extreme measures. Rather, just keep things simple, to stay on track with your goals.

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah. And I… The sticky note is a great idea too. Or even something as simple as putting the cookies or whatever temptation it is up on a really high shelf so you have to go grab a stool. The same idea, it just takes a little bit longer. Sometimes too, you’re like, “Oh, I don’t even want to do that. It’s a process to get to it.” So yeah, just finding a way to create that barrier.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. I love it. So on the topic of willpower, let’s continue to dive into our discussion there. And we talked about willpower being the ability to resist short term temptations. What else can somebody do to set up an environment in which they don’t have to rely on willpower, so that they can in fact see their goal through till the end?

Micheala Barsotti:

Pre-planning. Pre-planning is so crucial. If you already know what your day is going to be like, then you leave a lot less room for the decisions that you have to make throughout the day. So we talk about this a lot. It’s like meal planning is so powerful because if you already know the structure of what your day is going to look like, you just have to follow it. And I know that sometimes can be easier said than done. But combining the plan with that pattern interruption of creating the barriers, you’re likely going to put yourself in a much better situation.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely. And you know how much I love alliteration. So I always like to transform that and call it proactive problem solving. So, a couple extra PS in there because, yeah, we’re thinking ahead, just like Micheala mentioned about, what does my day look like? Or what does my week look like? Or what is the challenge I know I am going to inevitably encounter look like, and how can I plan in advance to circumnavigate it or to make sure it doesn’t even come in to play all together? And I love that.

And what’s really interesting, and I’d love to kind of hear your thoughts on this as well, is, you bring up the buzzword topic of meal prep. Everybody has a strong opinion on meal prep. But what we’ve often found is, meal prep as a game changer for so many reasons. And one of them being is, it eliminates many opportunities throughout the days or even the week where you have to make a decision. You have to flex your willpower. You literally, if you meal prep in a certain way, can just have an opportunity to, like I say, “Heat and eat.”, because your food is perfectly portioned, ready to go. Or at least you’ve bulk prepped it and you can quickly portion heat and eat.

So, you don’t have to think about anything. You don’t have to think about what to cook, what to make, how to season it, how to cook it, how much to have, what’s pairing with this, what’s your side, what’s your entree, what’s your appetizer, what’s your dessert, yada, yada. That’s all taken care of for you. And that process saves a bunch of energy, energy that is well spent going towards your willpower. So it’s actually a nice situation there, that when you proactively problem solve, you’re conserving energy.

And what’s really interesting there is, the amount of energy you need to spend to start meal prepping sometimes turns people off. There’s this inevitable, arbitrary amount of activation energy required to start. And meal prep being kind of an interesting example in that you might need to spend the 45 to 90 minutes in the kitchen to bulk prep for three to five days. But you’re saving probably 15 to 20 minutes on those three, four to five days. So all of a sudden, yes, you spend a little bit more money up front, but you make it back and then some. And ultimately free up energy that is incredibly important to help you flex that willpower muscle for the span of days you have prepared. Which helps promote consistency or adherence, which ultimately breeds that sustainable success.

Micheala Barsotti:

A quote that pops in my head that I heard once was just, “Those who practice…” Or, “Those who have the most self discipline practice it the least.” So really the idea behind it, is that they’ve already set up their environment where they actually… they don’t need to be super disciplined because they’re not putting themselves in the position to be. They’ve already done that work on the backend.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. I love that. That’s fantastic. Yeah, I’m going to need you to send that. Send that to me after so I can write that down. I really like that. So to recap here, just a couple of the main points and items we want to make sure you take away is, every time you start thinking about a goal, it begins with a dose of motivation, that comes like a bolt of lightning. And that motivation arises out of a desire to feel better, be better. But ultimately it’s rooted in a feeling. So if you are unhappy in one aspect of your life and you think seeing a lower number on the scale is your solution to that problem, well in reality, it’s not the number that you’re really working for. You want to feel confident, accomplished, in control, certain, sexy, whatever it may be. So, there’s always a feeling we’re chasing.

And motivation is going to just really be you in a very finite moment of time fantasizing about the future and how you could feel much better. But like I mentioned, it comes and goes like a bolt of lightning. And the best approach you can take to get that motivation to really stay and start to stick and become embodied in part of your daily actions, is gaining clarity on why you want to achieve that goal. What new idea came to your mind to solve your problem? And why, excuse me, is it important to you? And by taking the time to outline why, you can shift the, I want to accomplish X, Y, and Z to the I need to. And now it’s emotionally charged, it’s personal, and it’s going to be there for you to lean on as you go throughout the inevitable challenges to attain that goal.

And then we have this other component of a willpower being the ability to resist short term temptation over and over again. And as Micheala so elegantly shared with us, proactive problems solving is going to help you conserve your willpower because willpower is a finite resource. It definitely gets used many, many times throughout the day. We encounter decision fatigue, but it seems [inaudible 00:27:55] but by 9:00 AM, before the workday is really started, because we’re not putting ourselves in a position to be set up for success ahead of time.

So by proactively problem solving, spending time journaling, or thinking about, “What are my challenges here?” Or, “What can I expect to encounter? How can I solve that problem ahead of time?”, you’re going to conserve precious mental, physical, and emotional energy. And by putting those two things together, no longer do you need to rely on motivation. No longer do you need to willpower, especially you stubborn men and women out there who think you can muscle through anything, myself included. And you give yourself a hundred percent greater chance of actually achieving success.

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah. And just remembering too, that it’s action that creates and really stimulates that motivation. Most people think that they are going to be motivated and then that will just cause them to continue to take action. It might have you take action for that little bit. But as we talked about, when the motivation starts to fade away, so will those actions likely. So, it is setting yourself up for success and realizing, “What are the actual, how and behaviors that I need to do in order to be successful?” And you won’t know that unless you do have a very clear understanding of your why and what you’re trying to achieve.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I was… So I was… I think I was listening to either a podcast or an [inaudible 00:29:19]. I can’t remember. Just recently. And it was talking about a study of, I believe it was actually a Brendon Burchard’s high performance study, the study he was doing on just high achievers and high performers. And basically, one of the key takeaways was that these high performers or those who are uber successful in life, aren’t really any different than the person who’s not as successful.

One of the key differences is that they still take action towards their goal, even when motivation is lacking or when willpower is at its lowest. Because they have a clear why, and they have structure or systems in place. They have proactively problem solved because they actually expect to feel this way. Because the way I like to illustrate what motivation looks like, is it’s like a sign curve. So if you think back to, what is that, probably middle school geometry? You’ve got this up and down motivation coming and going, coming and going. And it’s the reason people are so successful compared to those who are not, is they’re still able to move the needle and take action, even when motivation is at its lowest or to be frank, nonexistent. And the way we can do that is with clarity on a why, with proactive problem solving in our back pocket, every step of the way.

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah. I just thought about, I was just on the phone. I was on FaceTime with my mom the other day, and I was finishing up on the stairs at the gym. And my mom’s client peeked over and was like, “You’re so motivated. How do you do it?” I told them, I’m like, “I’m not motivated, I’m just consistent. I actually didn’t want to be here today.” But again, it’s just coming back to not falling in that trap looking at people that maybe are successful with the goal that you’re trying to achieve. And thinking that they are just more motivated or have more willpower. They don’t. Theirs too comes and goes, but instead, they already have very clear steps that they know that they need to take in order to achieve their goal. And whether they’re feeling like it or not in the moment, they’re taking action.

I remember you said to me, when I was your coaching client, not to let your emotions dictate your actions. And that has forever stuck with me. It’s so simple, but so powerful when I find myself in these situations where I don’t really want to go workout, or I really want to eat a slice of pizza that’s on the counter from my fiance. But I know that’s not what aligns with my goals. I use that. It pulls me back in. And I think about, “How would I feel in two hours? When this emotion is gone, will I still want to do that thing? Will I be happy with the decision that I made?”

Speaker 2:

Yeah. I love that. I even just write it down. Don’t let your emotions dictate your actions. I should start-

Micheala Barsotti:

You told me that.

Speaker 2:

I know. I was… I wrote it down so I can start incorporating into some of my daily journaling and affirmations because-

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

… even I need a reminder of things I’ve said in the past kick my own butt into gear-

Micheala Barsotti:

[crosstalk 00:32:06].

Speaker 2:

… which is, yeah. Great. I’m glad you shared that. And yeah, I think it’s such a misconception, especially with social media these days, that everyone you see who’s successful or lean or strong or confident wants to be doing all of the things that lead to them getting there at every single moment. And I’m sure you can attest to this kind of what I think you’re just alluding to like, I love working out. But fuck, there are some days I don’t want to… I’d rather just sit on my couch all day. I don’t want to go work out.

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I don’t want to go put a heavy barbell on my back and move things up and down. No way. But consistency. I have a clear why behind doing it. I have proactively problem solved, so I know, for example, when it comes to working out, when there are days I don’t want to work out, I already have the proper nutrition in place ahead of time. I know what my pre-workout meal’s going to be. I know my schedule. I literally have two hours blocked every day related to, “Hey, you’re going to work out for 60 or 75 minutes and then walk the dog.” So I’ve been proactive and I’ve given the time ahead of time. I know my fuel, energy, and nutrition are all taken care of. I really don’t have any excuses. It’s built in, just going to go do it regardless of how I feel. And then hope the next workout I’m super excited for and I’ll go hit some PRs.

But it’s consistency and it’s very normal. And I’m so happy you shared this so we can really normalize feeling like, or feeling disinterested or disengaged in doing what we know we’re supposed to be doing, but still doing it anyway.

Micheala Barsotti:

And also, how good does it feel after you do the thing and you make the choice that aligns with your goals? There is no better feeling than that. So if you can push past that [ uncomfortbility 00:00:33:36] in the moment, then you’re going to feel so dang good and so happy with yourself.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. And that reminds me too, a quote that I’ll never forget by Jesse Itzler. He’s the husband to Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. And he is a [ bajillionaire 00:33:36], super successful, genuinely nice person in his own right, in so many ways. But he has this quote that stood out to me called, remember tomorrow. Which kind of same thing here, like, “How do you want to feel after?” Or, “Remember tomorrow. How are you going to feel after… or tomorrow rather, “if you say no to something you said you would do?”

So if you can think about how you want to feel in the future, well, you want to feel good. Remember, motivation’s all about changing our feelings and whatnot. Then that can be a way to utilize motivation in its lightning bolt capacity. Because if you want to feel good tomorrow and you know you have to push through this workout, study for this exam, take your kid here, do whatever A, B, and C it is to move you closer to your goal, that is going to be the little dose of motivation in a positive reinforcing way to get you to do what you need to do.

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah. Do it for your future self.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. Your future self. I love it. So Micheala, on motivation, willpower, anything that you think is incredibly important just to clarify, or to really share the listeners, to make sure that they are walking away here with a good idea on how to harness motivation and willpower? But how to also put their time and energy into the other foundational elements to make sure that their goals aren’t just thought of, but are actually attained for good.

Micheala Barsotti:

I mean, I think you really hit on it. I would just say again, to reiterate it, and as a reminder, that motivation and willpower, we can use them. They’re going to be present and when they are soak it up, take advantage. But also just remembering that it is not going to last very long, so you cannot have that be your main driver to success. There’s got to be the systems in place and the discipline and all of that. There has to be a game plan.

When you’re feeling really motivated. Maybe you hit it extra hard in the gym. Maybe you have a little bit of a better meal prep that week, whatever. But at the end of the day, whether you’re feeling like it or not, you’re still executing and taking action.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. And that’s such a great recap. I’m so glad you shared that. And that we can utilize them productively, positive when they come, they go. And here’s an analogy I’m just going to try to explain on the fly here that just came to mind when you said that. And it’s around the concept of budgeting and saving. And let’s say, for example, when you feel really good or you had a large amount of money come into your bank account one month, you’re motivated to go put some into savings, start working towards that goal. But when not as much money comes in or you’re having some other stressors in your life, you’re not going to go log into your bank account, move $100 from checkings to savings.

So how can we do… How can we circumnavigate that? Well, there’s the automated, every weekday or month we could have that transfer be scheduled, regardless. And it all comes back to something taking place, regardless of how we’re feeling. We know the why behind it. We want to save the money for the house, the car, the vacation, the dream X, Y, and Z. We are proactively problem solving by knowing there’s going to be days where we don’t want to manually move the money from the checking to the savings account. So our solution is to get that systematized so regardless of how we’re feeling or whether or not we actually log into our bank, it happens anyway. So hopefully, that was another relatable way to digest what Micheala and I have shared today.

Micheala Barsotti:

Very good.

Speaker 2:

Awesome stuff. Well, everybody, thank you so much for listening to the 5% Way Podcast. We are so excited to get the ball rolling here with our show. And I’m really looking forward to just growing and becoming a better host and co-host with Micheala here, as we step into this new challenge for both her and I as well.

But if you found this episode helpful or valuable in any way, it would mean the world to us, if you share it with a friend who you believe would also find it valuable. And if you could take 30 seconds, literally, that’s all it takes, if that, to leave a genuine and honest review on Apple podcast or wherever you are listening to your podcast, that goes a long way in helping us to get in front of the people who would really benefit from what it is we are discussing.

And what we are discussing, of course, is all things related to not only sustainable weight loss, but helping you to feel, look, and be your very mess. So… Very best, excuse me. Let me reemphasize that so it’s not misheard. But thank you so much for listening. Have a wonderful rest of your day, and we will talk to you in the next episode.

Micheala Barsotti:

Yeah. See you soon.