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Summary
On episode 571 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan opens the new year by explaining why motivation is the wrong thing to chase. He argues that commitment, not motivation, is what actually carries people through a health and fitness goal.
He walks through how to find a real why using the five whys technique, then breaks down two types of accountability, coach or leader accountability and social accountability, and explains which one helps you get started versus which one helps you keep going.
Allan closes by describing how extrinsic motivation, pushed by a coach or a group, has to eventually become intrinsic motivation, where you do the work simply because it’s who you are now, and reminds listeners to find their own sustainable pace.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com/quiz
Key Takeaways
- Motivation doesn’t come first, commitment does. Allan says motivation isn’t something that shows up on demand, so relying on it to start or sustain a health change sets people up to fail.
- Find your real why with the five whys. Asking “why” repeatedly moves a surface reason, like wanting to lose weight, down to the emotional core reason, like wanting to keep up with your kids or stay independent later in life.
- Vision connects your why to your plan. Concrete life triggers, like a doctor’s osteopenia warning or struggling to open a jar, sharpen the picture of the life you’re actually working toward.
- SMART goals turn vision into action. Goals need to be specific, measurable, attainable, actionable, relevant to your vision, and timely, not just a vague intention to “get healthy.”
- There are two types of accountability, and they serve different jobs. Coach or leader accountability is best for breaking inertia and getting started, while social accountability, the people around you moving in the same direction, is what keeps you going long term.
- Extrinsic motivation has to become intrinsic to last. Early on you rely on a coach pushing you or a group watching you, but real staying power comes once the identity shifts, when you want to train because you are, at your core, someone who trains.
- Pace has to match your real life circumstances. Allan warns against comparing your pace to someone else’s; getting injured and having to fully restart is a bigger risk than simply moving slower than you’d like.
- Being a spectator instead of a participant can be a powerful why. Allan’s own turning point was realizing he didn’t want to watch his daughter’s athletic life from the sidelines, a reason that drove him far more than any number on a scale.
“Motivation doesn’t come first. It comes last. Once you get moving, the motivation builds.”
Coach Allan
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 629 – How to rewire your brain and body for more resilience with Dr. Aditi Nerukar
Episode Notes
Podcast: 40+ Fitness
Episode: 571
Published: 2023-01-03
Host: Allan Misner (aka Coach Allan), author of The Wellness Roadmap
Guest(s): —, our co-host, Coach Rachel
Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube (audio only)
