5 Mindset Swaps That Made Motivation Irrelevant

 

Hey hey, beautiful human! Today we’re diving into a topic that’s been holding so many of us back: waiting for motivation.

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I just need to get motivated again,” this episode is for you. Because here’s the truth: motivation is fleeting, and if you’re relying on it to make progress… you’ll always end up stuck in that start-stop cycle.

What if you didn’t need motivation at all?

What I discuss:

  • Why motivation is just a feeling—and not something you can rely on

  • The brain science behind why we default to old habits when life gets busy

  • How simple systems (not willpower!) are the key to real, lasting consistency

  • Why habits are stronger than emotions—and how to make them automatic

  • 5 practical mindset shifts to stay consistent even on the hardest days

So if you’re tired of waiting for the “perfect Monday” or that magical burst of inspiration… this episode is going to shift everything for you.

If you loved this episode, you’ll also love Episode 537: What I Do on Days I Don’t Feel Like Working Out. I’ll link it in the show notes for you to easily go listen to next.
👉 https://www.juliealedbetter.com/embrace-your-real/what-i-do-on-days-i-dont-feel-like-working-out

If you want more from me, be sure to check out...

Transcript

00:00

00:00 - Speaker 1 (Host)

Hey there, beautiful human, you're listening to Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go. Hello, and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace your Real podcast. Let me ask you something have you ever told yourself, if I could just get more motivated, I would finally be consistent? Like, maybe you've tried to wait to be in the right mood, the perfect Monday, a burst of inspiration to get back on track? And sure, when motivation shows up, it feels amazing. Everything flows, you're ready to go all in. But what about the days when it doesn't? Because here's the truth Motivation is absolutely fleeting. It comes and it goes, and if your progress depends on waiting for motivation, you will always be stuck in a cycle of starting, stopping and starting over again. And so that's why, in today's episode, I want to shift your mindset. We're going to be talking about why you actually don't need more motivation. You actually need a system, a system that removes the guesswork, a system that supports you even on the messy and unmotivated days, and a system that keeps you consistent, because it's simple, it's sustainable and it's built for real life. So if you've been feeling stuck in inconsistency or you just can't seem to stay motivated, this episode is absolutely going to be for you. It's going to give you some clarity and, most important, some action steps.

01:34

But before we dive in, I want to share this review. It comes from Hale Craze. She gave a five-star review and said love this. This podcast is amazing. It's just what I was looking for. It's so informative and encouraging. I love how open and real Julie is. I definitely recommend. Thank you so much. I so appreciate you taking time out of your day to send in this review. It really does mean the world to me and our team. If you guys could scooch over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating interview, that would mean so so much. Okay, let's dive in. Number one.

02:04

Motivation is a feeling and feelings. They come and go. Like I said earlier, you don't need more motivation. What you actually need is a system, and here's why this matters so much.

02:15

Motivation is a feeling and just like any other feeling joy, sadness, anger, excitement it's not always predictable. You can feel super motivated on a Monday morning after a great night's sleep and a fresh to-do list, completely done. But then come Thursday afternoon after a stressful day, poor night's rest or curveball from one of your children's schedules, you're absolutely wiped and that motivation poof, it's gone. That's because motivation isn't a character trait. It's not something that you either have or don't have. It's a temporary state that your brain enters when certain conditions are met, and most of those conditions are completely outside of your control.

02:54

Here's really what is going on behind the scenes. When you set a goal or imagine a positive outcome, like feeling confident in your genes, hitting a new PR or finally just having the energy to get through the day, your brain releases a chemical called dopamine, and dopamine is like your brain's get up and go signal. It creates anticipation, excitement and drive. It's why you feel that burst of. I'm doing this when you start a new program or open fresh calendar, whether it's on the first of the month or it's the 15th of the month, or it's a brand new year like January 1st. But here's the tricky part Dopamine actually thrives on novelty the new plan, the new gear, the new playlist, the new tracker, the new environment. But once the newness actually wears off, once the work begins and reward feels far away, the dopamine surge actually plummets and suddenly you're no longer buzzing with energy, you're tired, you're busy, you're overwhelmed.

03:50

Life is happening and since dopamine is connected to pleasure and reward, your brain actually starts to chase the easier win Scrolling your phone, skipping the workout, grabbing a sugary snack, watching Netflix instead of meal prepping and this isn't really you being lazy. It's literally how the human brain is wired. It seeks comfort and it avoids discomfort. It defaults to habits that feel safe, that feel fast or familiar, and that's why, if your consistency depends on motivation alone, it's always going to feel like a struggle, because motivation is based on how you feel and, again, those feelings are fleeting. That depends on your energy, your mood, your sleep, your stress levels, your hormones, your cycle, your environment. Even the weather can absolutely impact your motivation, which means you can't count on it.

04:37

So what can you count on? A system, a system that removes decision fatigue, it reduces the number of choices that you have to make and it actually replaces do. I feel like it today with this is just what I do. Let me kind of give you an example. Think about brushing your teeth. You don't just, you know, wake up every morning and think am I motivated to brush my teeth today? You just do it. Why? Because it's built into your routine. You've repeated it enough times that it's automatic.

05:04

You don't Now imagine your workouts and your nutrition working the same way. That's the goal with systems. You want to automate the habits that move you towards the goals, so that you don't have to rely on energy inspiration or dopamine hits to keep going. Because, let's be real, you're not always going to be excited to work out. You're not always going to crave a protein pack lunch over Chick-fil-A, you're not always going to feel like showing up, but if the system is in place, you're going to do it anyways. Or you'll pick something macro-friendly at Chick-fil-A, like knowing that you have options but still choosing to pick the nutrient-dense option. And here's the magic Every time you show up without motivation, you are reinforcing a habit loop.

05:49

Your brain goes oh, we do this even when it's hard. That creates that identity level change. You stop being the person who tries to stay consistent and you start becoming the person who is consistent. And that, my friend, is how results happen not from perfect weeks, not from bursts of motivation, but from ordinary days done consistently. So next time you catch yourself saying, oh, I just need to get motivated. So next time you catch yourself saying I just need to get motivated, again I want you to pause and I want you to instead ask, okay, what system could I put in place so I don't need to feel motivated? Or what habit can I build that would make this easier? Or where can I reduce friction so that this feels more automatic? Because when you build a system that works for you and your real life, no matter how busy you are, no matter how messy or unpredictable it is, you'll stop depending on motivation and you'll start seeing consistent results. That actually last Number two relying on motivation leads to inconsistency. So what happens when that motivation fades? We skip the workout, we grab the takeout, we scroll instead of move and we tell ourselves it's fine, I'll start again next week. This pattern is so incredibly common and here's why, from a psychological perspective, that's called the abstinence violation effect, and it's when one slip up, like skipping a workout or going off plan, makes you feel like you have failed altogether and instead of seeing it as a moment, you actually see it as a reason to quit.

07:18

And, neurologically, your brain plays a role here too. Let's talk about the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system, so two key players in your brain. The prefrontal cortex is the part of your brain responsible for long-term planning, self-control and decision making. It's the rational voice that says I want to be consistent, I want to feel strong, I've got goals. But then there's the limbic system, which is the emotional part of your brain that's wired for the immediate comfort and the survival. That's the part of your brain that doesn't care about the long-term goals. It just wants the dopamine, and it wants the dopamine now. So when you're tired or you're stressed or you're overwhelmed, your prefrontal cortex actually gets weaker and your limbic system actually gets louder. And that's why in these moments it feels easier to grab fast food or scroll TikTok than to go prep a meal or press play on a workout or just get your workout done, get your movement done. And it's not because you're lazy, it's actually because your brain is trying to self-soothe.

08:15

Motivation lives in that prefrontal cortex space and it's linked to dopamine. And it shows up strongest when something is new or exciting. And so that's why, when you start a new program or goal, you feel this rush of motivation. Like I was saying, like your brain is saying yes, let's do this. Look at all these rewards waiting for us. But novelty wears off quickly. The brain adapts, dopamine drops and your motivation disappears with it, and this is what psychologists call hedonic adaptation. Your brain gets used to the new thing, whether it's a workout, it's a habit, it's a goal, and the excitement fades. And without a system in place to support you, you default to whatever is easiest and most familiar, which is usually that old habit that you're trying to break.

08:56

But the beautiful part is that your brain also loves routine. Every time you repeat an action, especially in the same context, you strengthen that neuropathway associated with it, and this is called neuroplasticity, so your brain's ability to rewire itself based on what you repeatedly do. So when you consistently show up, even without that motivation, even imperfectly, you start building those neural tracks and over time, what once felt really hard actually starts to become automatic. And that's what a system does it bypasses your emotion, works with your brain and builds consistency on a neurological level. So, instead of needing to feel motivated, you just do the thing, because it's what you do. It's a part of who you are. That's the shift, that's the science and that's truly what sets you free from the cycle of starting and stopping.

09:46

Number three systems make consistency possible, even on unmotivated days, and this is why systems matter so much more. Systems take motivation out of the equation. They give you structure and they give you habits to lean on, even when you don't feel that burst of motivation, and that is what builds real consistency over time. Here is what a system looks like in real life. It looks like having your workouts scheduled and planned out, and this is why, inside my Movement With Julie app, I give you structured workouts every single week. Literally, you just open the app, you follow the workouts and you do not have to wake up wondering what workout you're doing or if you even feel like it. That system is just in place for you. A system also looks like having meals prepped or having to-go meals on hand. If you know busy days are ahead, you can prep or plan in a way that sets you up for success. It looks like setting alarms or reminders to drink water. It looks like setting a consistent bedtime so that your sleep actually supports your recovery, so that you can get up and do it again tomorrow morning. These things might sound simple, but they are actually powerful because they create consistency without relying on how motivated you feel that day.

10:55

Number four habits over motivation. Your brain absolutely loves systems. Your brain loves these habits. The more that you repeat an action in the same context, the stronger the neuropathway for that habit actually becomes and over time it actually starts to become automatic. And when something is automatic, you don't need motivation to do it, you just do it because it's a part of your routine. Again, thinking about brushing your teeth you don't need to feel motivated, like I mentioned, to brush your teeth. You just do it because that is a habit that is built into your day and that's exactly how we want your fitness and nutrition habits to feel. So if you have been waiting to feel motivated again or telling yourself you just need to get more motivated, I wanna lovingly challenge you to shift your focus and, instead of asking how can I get more motivated, start asking how can I build a system that makes it easier to stay consistent, even on the days that I do not feel like it? And last but not least, number five small systems create big results. Here's another example If you've ever said I will work out when I have time, that is motivation thinking but if your system says I will work out on Monday, wednesday and Friday at 6 am.

12:07

Now it isa scheduled and it is planned, and you are not waiting for a perfect time. You're not waiting for perfect motivation. You are following the system. The same goes for nutrition. If you are telling yourself I will try to eat better this week, but you have no plan, you are completely relying on motivation. If you spend a few minutes planning your meals and snacks ahead of time, now you actually have a system, and that's exactly what I teach inside my Macro Academy and Simple Online Academy. You learn how to create a system for your nutrition that makes fueling your body simple, consistent and sustainable.

12:42

And here's the biggest takeaway Motivation might get you started, but a system is what will keep you going. And listen, you do not have to be perfect. You do not have to completely overhaul your entire life overnight. In fact, trying to do it all at once is exactly what will lead to burnout. What actually works is building small systems that support your habits you want to create. And here's the coolest part. There is an actual brain science behind this. The more that you repeat an action, the stronger the habit loop actually becomes on your brain and over time, those actions start to feel automatic. You don't have to think about them, you don't have to feel motivated to do them. They just become a part of your routine.

13:24

So instead of telling yourself you need to be more motivated, I want you to shift your focus. Start small. Maybe that means setting your workout days in advance. Maybe that's having your breakfast prepped already so that you can start your day with a win. Maybe that's setting a reminder to drink water throughout the day. Every small system that you put in place makes it so much easier to stay consistent, and when you stack those small wins week after week, that's when the magic happens. That's when you start to actually see the real progress, and when you look back a few months from now, you're going to be amazed at how far you come, not because you waited for motivation to show up, but because you actually built a system that supported you along the way.

14:04

All right, let's do a quick recap of the five things I do when motivation is nowhere to be found. Number one I stop waiting to feel motivated and I remind myself that motivation is a feeling, not a strategy. Number two I lean on my systems like scheduled workouts, prepped meals, instead of relying on willpower. Number three I make it easier to win by setting myself up for success with small, doable habits. Number four I lower the activation energy. I make that task feel so small that I can't say no to starting. And, last but not least, number five, I track my wins, because progress, even tiny progress, creates its own momentum.

14:42

Here's the truth. You don't need to feel fired up every single day to make progress. You just need systems to support you when life gets chaotic. Okay, so, if you're thinking, okay, julie, I am ready to stop relying on motivation, but I genuinely don't know where to start. Let me make it super simple for you.

15:00

First, if you need a done for you workout system that takes the guesswork out and gives you structure, my Movement With Julie app is exactly what that is. Every week. You'll get effective dumbbell workouts planned for you every single week, five days a week. So all you have to do is genuinely open up the app and start your workout. No more wondering if it's good enough. It's all laid out for you, ready to support your goals and your schedule. You can do them at the gym or at home. Whether you have the full 60 minutes or just 30 minutes. You can do three workouts a week, four workouts a week, five workouts a week, whatever fits your schedule. But no matter what, the app is there for you.

15:36

And if nutrition is where you struggle to stay consistent or if you've tried clean eating you know you've tried all the clean eating plans out there, but you just can't seem to make it stick then my Macro County Made Simple Online Academy is going to be your next step. Inside, I teach you exactly how to fuel your body for your goals without the stress, without the obsession and without needing to start over every Monday. I walk you through how to set up a system for your nutrition that actually works with your lifestyle, not against it. You don't need more motivation, you need tools, you need structure and you need support that work in real life, no-transcript. This helps reach more women who need it. And lastly, if you love this episode, I know you will also love episode 537, what I do on days I don't feel like working out, and I will go ahead and link that in the show notes as well, so that you can easily go check that out.

16:52

That is all that I have for today's episode. I love you so dang much. I mean it. I'll talk to you in the next one. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it.

 
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