26: Why Motivation Fades & What To Focus On Instead

In this powerful episode, Kimberly and Terry break down the difference between motivation and inspiration—and why inspiration is the secret to lasting success in your goals, wellness, and overall well-being.

They reveal practical strategies to stay inspired, including:
🔥 Identifying your personal ‘why’ for deeper, lasting commitment
📈 Tracking progress & celebrating small wins to stay on track
🙌 Leveraging community support for accountability and growth
💡 Shifting from external motivation to intrinsic inspiration

When you live from the inside out, you create a thriving, fulfilling life that isn’t dependent on fleeting motivation. Ready to tap into your inner drive and unlock lasting success? Tune in now!

#StayInspired #MindsetMatters #LongTermSuccess #FindYourWhy #MotivationVsInspiration #WellnessLeadership

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Questions or topic ideas? Email us @ groupxappeal@gmail.com

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Stay Connected with Kimberly:
- @kimberlyspreenglick on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
- email: kimberly@theinspiredlifeuniversity.com
- website: www.theinspiredlifeuniversity.com

Stay Connected with Terry:
- @terryshorter on Instagram & Facebook
- email: terry@rippedplanet.com
- website: www.rippedplanet.com

Transcript

Ever feel like your motivation comes and goes like Wi-Fi? One day you're fired up, crushing workouts, and the next you can't even find your gym shoes. Why does this happen? And more importantly, how can you stay on track for the long haul? Well, today we're unpacking the science of inspiration, what truly drives us to stay consistent, and how you can build momentum that sticks for life.

Kimberly/terry (01:01)
You ever feel like motivation is like a spark. It's hot one moment and gone the next. Well, you are not alone. I think we've all been there. And one of the reasons is because the focus on motivation is kind of part of the problem. Right. See, there are two words that are often used interchangeably and that is motivation and inspiration. You see, motivation is external. It means that something outside of you is impelling you, kind of causing you to either want or feel like you need to do something.

Whereas inspiration is very internal and it's kind of a drive from the inside out that makes you definitely want to do something because you desire motivation generally short term because it only exists while that external influence is there. For example, group fitness classes, we, as instructors, we get to be the motivator. We get to be the external factor that hopefully is creating. Hopefully it's creating a great experience for those who are in our class, but you know what, at the end of the hour,

Everybody leaves and unless we follow them around for the next 23 hours, which will be a little creepy. As much as you may want to do that. I mean, well, I I did once or twice. It didn't go well, but that external influences is gone. And so then what? Right. So we've got to be able to tap into inspiration because it, comes from the inside out. It's longer lasting. And so that's exactly what we're going to talk about. Yay. Absolutely. And

As we dive into this today, just where you can find your inspiration, how you can make it stick, we wanna share how to build these systems that that way it keeps you moving forward, even on some of the toughest days like we were talking about for the long term. Motivation will always get you started, which is great. But the thing is, is then what's next? One of my mentors, Joseph McClendon III, he said, it's like a warm bath. Motivation's like a warm bath, right? It feels great at first, give it a few minutes and then you've gotta either,

get out of the tub or you have got to fill it up with brand new warm or hot water. So in order to get that feel good feeling again. So, and as James clear, he's the author of atomic habits, like one of my favorite books. One of the things he says is you do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. And so that's what we want to give you today. Something that, is a strategy that you can simply follow just in four basic steps today.

So you can really get this inspiration down and, you know, implementing it on a regular basis. So finding your why that's your specialty. You teach on this, you coach on this. do. I do. So the first tip we have for you is just that it is find your why. A man who has a why can withstand any how that is from Nietzsche.

And the fact of the matter is if you are going to set a goal for yourself that stretches you in any way, or form, which is what we all want to do, we want to challenge ourselves so that we can become stronger, can, can basically become more of who we are while we're on the path to accomplishing whatever that inspired goal is. And so being able to find your why is kind of both an anchor and also fuel for the journey, because here's what's going to happen.

There's going to come a day, just like Terry mentioned that sometimes we, have a hard time sticking with it for the long haul. There's going to come a day or a couple of days where you feel like you either want to give up. You doubt yourself. You wonder, is this the right goal? What am I even doing here? listening to nice airs. You might feel like you, what if I fail and all of these kind of negative critics get going in your head.

And that's why it's really important to come back and revisit your why. And if your why can be something more intrinsic, and we could do a whole episode on just this, but intrinsic meaning that it comes from the inside out. is something that is about you as a person leveling up either for yourself or those that you care about. Whereas extrinsic goals, that's like, you know, that dollar amount in the bank, the car, the job, the house, the whatever the case may be.

Not that there's anything wrong, but those are motivators. What we're looking for are intrinsic inspired goals here. And to Terry's point earlier, there's nothing wrong with motivation unless it's coming from fear. motivation is an amazing thing to get kickstarted, to get going. So maybe you start there, but then do the work to find a deeper why, a deeper why that inspires you. And then somehow, someway, some shape.

make it visible, whether you write it on sticky note, maybe I've done this before. I like put it on a mirror. or maybe you put it as your, your phone's wallpaper, say it to yourself on a daily basis, like look in the mirror and say kind of what the Y is, but somehow make it visible enough that you see it every single day, because that's going to keep you anchored into why you're on the path that you're on and help you feel more inspired for the work yet to be done, because there is an action to be taken.

But when you're working from a place of inspiration, it is now inspired action, very different than hard work. And you'll actually feel more fulfilled as you go versus depleted along the way. Yeah. More fulfilled and way more excited. It'll make the process a lot more fun, I think. yeah. When you mentioned, you know, as I look at my phone, what's my wallpaper on my phone? That's Miss Keoni. So she's on my phone, is right over here at my desk. She's on my

Right. Right. Got another frame of her over here. So, she's my reason why she's what keeps me excited, keeps me inspired, keeps me wanting to go. Cause I want to be a good example for her, show her that, you know, that there's things that are possible, even if you can't see it yet. and just be that example. And I know you're, you're like that as well. And more for big T. Yeah. Your reason. important to both of us for sure.

So let us know what your reason why. What is that strong driver that keeps you going, that keeps you excited, that keeps you just jazzed to step into your best self and to give it your all every single day. And from there, tip number two, as we go into this inspiration formula, tip number two is track your progress, not just the results. You've heard that term before, 1%.

better every single day, right? That's compounding. If we're just going 1 % for focus on 1 % every day, it doesn't have to be a huge amount of change, right? Instead, take the Kaizen approach, right? I believe I've heard that somewhere before. you heard that somewhere before? Episode what? I believe it was episode 19. how I just had that off the top of Right off the top of your head. That was pretty good. You like that? So shift focus from out.

Like for example, some people when we coach people, whether it be in fitness or as personal trainers, we'll ask people, okay, what are your goals? And immediately they go right to, I want to lose 10 pounds. I want to use 30 pounds, 45 pounds, whatever the case may be. And that's great. They have something to focus on. However, let's focus on the process instead. What's going to get us there to the 10, 20, 45 pounds that you want to lose?

What are those steps? So we want to kind of break it down, just kind of chunk it down so it's not overwhelming. So we don't throw in the towel really early because we haven't lost the 10 pounds by the end of the week. Right. Right. And so as we know, daily progress, consistent progress, what's that going to do? It's going to fuel your inspiration even more knowing that you're taking it step by step and really focusing on the progress rather than that end goal, which you will eventually get to.

As long as you stay consistent, as long as you stay inspired. Definitely. And then related to that, the third tip we have for you is to celebrate your wins. So as you're making that progress, you're kind of reaching those milestones. It's really important that you revel in what you've accomplished one moment to the next too often. So it's, so we're talking about no matter how big or small the wins appear to you. If you commit to, taking an action on a certain day and then you follow through and honor that.

celebrate that. Yes. And I'm not saying you got to go buy yourself an ice cream sundae every time, but I miss what I do. can actually, my two big celebratory actions are to get a massage and to get my toes did self care.

Self care. love that. But, but the point is so often people refuse to celebrate along the way as they're making that progress. They refuse to celebrate until they get the big win at the end, whatever the goal is, the losing the 10 pounds or what have you. And granted, maybe the celebration is a little bit bigger once you've reached all the milestones and you've accomplished what it is you've set out to accomplish. But it's important that at a minimum you pat yourself on the back. This

helps boost your confidence. You get that dopamine hit. It helps you basically want to do more. When you make a commitment and you follow through on that commitment, there's a boost in self-esteem as well. You start to believe in yourself more and then you wanna do more. You wanna take more steps, more action toward whatever it is you want to accomplish. Yeah, something always to look forward to and once you get there, live it up. Yes. I like the way you live it up, the self-care, the massage. What kind of massage do you like to go for? You know, I'm like a...

medium firm athletic. Like for me, massage is not a luxury. is therapy. Okay. So it's to, to keep feeling good in this crazy body. Don't you say a single word. I just got a Thai massage this past weekend and I both. was therapy and it was relaxing. It was luxurious. Yes. And I loved it. Yeah. Stepping on my back. I'll stretched out and Yeah. So that was the end.

I love that modality of massage. would like recommend it to anybody and everybody. You can find a great Thai massage place in your area, but in any event, I celebrated with that as well this past weekend. So what we celebrate finished a project, finished a website for an upcoming, a new upcoming project. And so I was like, I need to get out from behind the computer and get to work. Nice. Yeah. Love that. So, the next, the fourth and final tip, in our,

formula of inspiration is just making sure that you leverage your community and find some accountability as well. That's huge. One of the great things that attracted me to the whole group exercise idea, right? Jumping, I first jumped in the, first group exercise class back in 99 and the energy was contagious. like inspiration is contagious. was inspired by all the people.

all their energy, their excitement, and that fueled me for now, what 26 years. So it works. does inspiration works for the long haul. So you're still going, still going strong. It's like I've got my second wind and, one of the great things about the group exercise environment, if you've never experienced it yet, and we would highly encourage you to, and if you don't know where to start,

Reach out to us. We'd be more than happy to point you in the right direction or find someone else who can. But what's great is in that environment, when you surround yourself with like-minded, like-spirited, like-energy kind of people, really, really keeps you, it drives you forward, first of all. It keeps you moving forward in the right direction, like we talked about one day at a time, enjoying the process. But the accountability is there as well. If you don't show up, people are like,

Where were you? What happened? Are you okay? Absolutely. love that. I love that. So, so that's, one of the, the, greatest, well there's several, but one of the greatest elements of group exercise is that built in accountability. And if you haven't found a group exercise, kind of experience that you're feeling really drawn into no problem. Find a coach, find a mentor or a friend.

maybe an online group, there's plenty of groups out there nowadays, whether it be on Facebook, what you could just Google it and find, people who will help keep you accountable towards your goals, whatever that may be again, whether it's in fitness, whether it's in business, whether it's in your, as a community leader, whatever that case may be, there's plenty of people that are willing to help and help you grow and expand. the really cool thing about that too, is that when, when we come together, obviously when we bring our energy together,

we are stronger. Like when we come together, we are stronger than we ever could have been individually. Right. And when you're around other people, I mean, you've, sure been around and I'm sure you've been around people who you feel inspired by. Absolutely. And people who even, I'm going to go get my purse. I'll be right back. Pepper spray.

I was going to pay him for saying such nice things. No pepper spray. Thank you very much. I did. Oh, at risk of sounding like a cheesy rom-com. Oh, that's so sweet. But when, when we are kind of on this, our individual journeys, but together as a community or even working with a coach, but, um, when you have a connection with other people and you follow your inspiration, it reminds me of, you know, Marianne Williamson's book.

Return to love where she talks about the fact that when you shine your light It you unconsciously give other people permission to shine theirs as well. Not that they need our permission, but there's something about Showing up and being inspired being passionate about what you're doing being inspired that encourages others to do the same for themselves sure and so I think that this Finding the the ability to surround yourself with people Who are like-minded and on a journey similar? I think it's really powerful

It's it is it is and that's what has allowed us to go as far as we have so far with group X appeal podcast. This is episode number 26 and we're dropping this episode. Ironically on Kimberly's birthday.

March the third, so make sure that you give her a big happy birthday prop. Shout out to her, whether it be in the comment section here on YouTube or whether it may be on Instagram if you're following her there. while you're at it, his birthday is two days later on March 5th. So I am his elder. Yes. So I keep him in check. Oldies but goodies. She just called me an oldie but goodie. I said us. Oldies but goodies. I pluralized it. I love it.

So definitely give a shout out to our boy Terry here as well. Oh, thank you. Thank you. But the other part, the irony in this is that, you know, this is the formula, the basic, by the way, basic formula for inspiration, which is what Kimberly has built her business on, right? Through the Inspired Life University. So make sure that you follow Inspired Life University and get information, ask questions if you're looking for that coaching or that mentorship.

that I mentioned earlier by surrounding yourself, you know, with, uh, with someone who, um, is, has been there, who's done that Kimberly's your girl. So reach out to her and that would make her birthday week even better. And if you happen to be local, so what a big hug. I'm a hugger. Yeah, we'll take it. But you know, the first time I really connected with the word inspire. And ultimately I named my, my company is the inspired life. The platform is the inspired life university because it's all about.

living life from the inside out, but it was Dr. Wayne Dyer. I was at a weekend intensive with him and he broke down the word inspire, excuse me. And he said, inspire is from the word in Latin inspirare, which means to breathe into and further went into it to say it's to breathe life into and what better to breathe life into than your life. And so it really is about.

living your life from the inside out, which is what we're talking about here. Yay. I love it. Thank you for sharing. And we would love for you to share. Let us know what inspires you. What is your driver? What juices you up and get you excited to get to that next level or just to grow just a little bit more. You know, we would love to know that. And let us know what you're working toward. We'd love to root you on. Yeah. I my palm palms. Take them out.

You're bringing up pom-poms because you're ready to admit that it is a sport. It's not a sport. It's a totally a sport. Somebody back me up here. No, I sent you the video. Yeah, it's definitely, we have evidence. It's definitely a sport. sport, for real. So awesome, awesome. That is our episode today, episode 26. And we would love it. It would mean the world to us if you tag a friend or you share this episode with someone who needs that extra boost and we can build inspiration together.

Right? Yeah, absolutely. It's more fun that way. For sure. For sure. So anything else you can think of? No, I just appreciate you all tuning in. Continue to tune in and share and comment and follow and download. And we look forward to serving up a new episode soon. Yay. Until then, make it a great day. And why Kimberly? Oh, because it's a great day to have. Don't forget that. I can't forget that. It's a great day to have. Take care.