26- Ditch Willpower & Design Your Life for Success

Tired of relying on willpower to reach your goals? This episode dives into how you can set yourself up for success by creating systems and routines that reduce decision fatigue and help you stay consistent, even on your busiest days.

Key Takeaways:

• Decision Fatigue is Real: Constantly making daily decisions drains your willpower. Planning meals, workouts, and critical tasks ahead of time frees up mental energy to keep you on track with your goals.
• Schedule It In: Don’t just think about working out—put it on your calendar! This turns a vague intention into a solid commitment.
• Small Efforts, Big Results: Don’t fall into the "all or nothing" trap. Consistency beats intensity. Even a short 10-minute workout is better than skipping it. Celebrate those small wins and focus on building momentum.
• Minimum Viable Routine: Create a simple routine you can stick to, even on your busiest days. Honoring your capacity doesn’t mean lowering your standards.
• Environmental Cues: Set up your space to support your goals. This might look like prepping your workout clothes the night before, having healthy snacks ready, or keeping your workout gear in a distraction-free zone.

Remember: Simple doesn’t mean easy. Building new habits takes work, but it’s worth it! By designing your life around your goals, you’ll achieve more with less willpower and stress.

Are you tired of doing it all on your own? Let’s make those goals happen together!

At KatFit Strength, we focus on creating simple yet powerful routines that fit into your life—no more relying on willpower alone. Ready to take the next step? Let’s discuss how we can build a plan tailored just for you. 💪

Visit KatFit Strength, and let's get started!

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Transcript

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Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by daily decisions that you can barely think about your long term goals, let alone make progress on them? Today we're diving into how you can set yourself up for success by building routines that help you take action without constantly battling decision fatigue. Think of it as giving back to your future self. Welcome to miles from her view, the podcast, where we dive deep into the unfiltered reality of fitness, strength, training, and nutrition within womanhood and motherhood. I am your host, Kat, founder of Kat the strength, I'm a career strength and conditioning coach, entrepreneur, lifelong athlete, and a mom of two active boys. In each episode, we explore the unique challenges and triumphs faced by women navigating the complexities of life. From juggling family and career to prioritizing self care, we dissect the systems and the habits that shape our health and wellness. Join us for real stories, authentic advice, and genuine conversations as we empower each other to embrace our journeys and find strength in vulnerability. Welcome back to miles from review. I'm Kat and I'm super pumped to have you here So thank you so much for taking time out of your jam packed schedule to join me for today's episode I'm, super happy to bring you this episode. It is something I practice daily Life is busy. No matter what your 24 hours looks like and whatever it's filled with There is busyness as well as a lot of distraction, but we're going to focus on how we can set ourselves up for success and create the routine that your future self needs. Your current self probably won't like some of this, and I'm not talking about forcing yourself or those big, grand, bold, Gestures that you might see on social media or big gurus who have these enormously stocked mornings that are starting at four a. m. with hours of meditation. I'm not talking about any of that. I'm talking about, and I hate using the word small, but small, impactful changes. in your routine that can set you up for success. Clear some of that friction of not taking action on your fitness goals, strength training, mobility, cardio training, all of those things. So we are going to go over four, four takeaways from today. Don't try to implement all of them because I don't know your 24 hours and what it's filled with. I want you to take from this, Things that apply and that will be the simplest simplest thing to integrate into your system Simple does not mean easy. I want to clarify that there will be plenty of Times where you don't take action, even though it is something potentially simple. You're still learning a new system So provide yourself with that time to have Times of inaction and times of action. We're not looking for perfection. We're looking for progress. So that is something I want you to kind of really start to embrace. That is something that I also really stress with my clients is that we're focused on progress. Not perfection and any rep done is a one rep more than you wouldn't have done if you were striving for perfection, especially in these times of madness or low energy or whatever your 24 hours presents. So let's dive in. And each of these takeaways are going to be presented with a quote. I'm big on quotes, but I'm not a diehard live my life by quotes. I think they can sometimes mentally unlock what we're trying to go over. Takeaway number one. Make decisions ahead of time to avoid decision fatigue. I love this quote by Kelly McGonigal from the willpower instinct. The key of willpower is not to use it, make fewer decisions, and you'll be more likely to stick to healthy habits you want to cultivate. So the reason why I love that is you can have all the willpower in your, in the world and still not take action. Decision fatigue is real folks. I know I'm preaching to the choir. Chances are you are a mom or someone who is in a leadership role who is constantly thinking and deciding for multiple people who depend on you a day. That is exhausting. And when it gets to yourself, whether it's the end of the day or even at the beginning of the day, you may not have that capacity to decide for yourself. So setting up a routine minimizes. daily decision making. So it can look like planning meals, workouts, scheduling workouts, planning meals, and deciding what is going to be ahead of the time. What this looks like for me, and I'm going to speak for me, and what a lot of my clients do during the week, is Sunday, they take a nap. And for me, I tend to take 15 minutes to plan out my week and I lightly sketch out what my week is going to look like. Remember, we want to not hold ourselves to hard, fast times. We want to be adaptable. Yes, there are going to be meetings that you have to show up. There's going to be pickups and drop offs. There's going to be sporting practices, music practices, et cetera. There's going to be things that cannot bend or adapt. Where the adaptation comes for you is putting in Don't pencil it in. Put in that time that is scheduled for you. Literally schedule it on your calendar. Do not say, oh, I'm going to work out today, but not have it on your calendar. For me, have multiple people that have access to my calendar. My calendar looks very overwhelming, but I like it because everything is there. What is not there is the client work that I need to get done, the daily three tasks that I'm going to get done, and my workouts. I'm old school. I also adopt new school. I have a digital calendar so that clients can book in business. Colleagues can also book in if they need time. Uh, guests for this podcast can book in and then my husband and I, we share a Google calendar that also has the whole family schedule on there. So we know who's doing pick up and drop offs where that is. It's just one less schedule. Bit of information that I need to relay. It's at his fingertips. He can consult that before asking me. That's kind of a bonus one right there. You don't have a household calendar, and I get it. Not everybody's open to it. It is a learning curve, trust me. There was a learning curve in my own relationship to get that there, but we got through it and it has been amazing. But going back to, um, the paper one is the one where I put the things down that I need to do that day and my non negotiables are getting that movement, showing up for myself in that workout. That workout isn't slated always for a specific time. There are, you know, a lot of adaptations there. Meal planning. It can feel like a very daunting task. I get it with my clients. I help break that down a little bit more in how do they always have four to six meals and rotation that they can make essentially in their sleep or food to go food on the hand does not mean it's restaurant to go food. What it means is. pre cut vegetables, fruit that they're going to eat, things that are pre made that are nutrient dense that they can pull from their pantry or their fridge. So it takes the um, I really want to eat something nutrient dense, but I have nothing. It takes that guesswork out. It's already there at your fingertips. With some of my clients, we've moved on to, okay, this is what they're going to batch cook. This is what they have 45 minutes or 30 minutes on a Sunday or whenever on the weekend or whatever day works for their schedule to pre make. For me, I do, About 45 minutes of meal prep on Sunday evening, which is tied into cooking Sunday dinner. I know for me that works because it is a day where we tend to be very low on activities and it really starts and sets the tone for the week. So I pre make I have a bunch of quick bite snacks on hand that are pre made for the kids in between sports and all of those fun things. So really start to look at your, your whole schedule and see where you can take the deciding factors out of the whole thing because willpower will not save you. Okay? So schedule those workouts in. I understand if you cannot block out your calendar. That's why I love the paper calendar because I can see it on my desk. It acts as like a desk blotter, like those old school desk blotters. I don't know if people really use them anymore, but it's a very simple, just flat sheet of piece of paper. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, all the way through Sunday listed, and I just write it down there. Takeaway number two. Focus on the process of setting yourself up for success. The quote I'm going to tell you is, is pretty cool. Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out, by Robert Colyer. The thing I want you to listen to there is, Small efforts in today's society, things that tend to be praised are these enormous efforts, these big grand events, these big massive accomplishments. That is what we tend to see like trending all over social media. If it's not a. Big hard workout. Are you even moving? If you are not drenched in sweat, have you even worked out? If you haven't lost hundreds of pounds, are you even working towards your health? No, that stuff is great. And I'm not going to like sit here and just anyone's credibleness of doing a hard workout or having an epic weight loss or whatever. How to maintain and how to continue to find success is in the sum of the small efforts repeated day in and day out. So you have to embrace that mindset that prioritizes action over perfection and knowing that each step you take day in and day out is going to contribute to achieving your goals. Let's say you're having a week where everything is seemingly going wrong or you feel it those weeks where you just feel like. I planned it all out, like takeaway number one, planning out your whole week and every day there are surprises that pop up. So that's where you have to ask yourself, what can I do? What do I have the capacity to do in this day? What can I do? What small effort can I do? to prioritize action over perfection. So what that looks like in a workout, if you have a 40 minute workout, but you only have the capacity or the time to do 10 minutes, show up for 10 minutes, 10 minutes is still 10 minutes. Now you could come at me and say, well, this research shows if you don't work out for 40 minutes, I'm not going to get the full effect of the workout probably. But you know what, if you don't show up for that workout on that one day and tomorrow you push it to tomorrow and the same thing happens and you keep pushing it off and pushing it off. When I've worked out zero minutes. So yes, I get the 40 minute workout due to research is going to give you a better benefit, but what won't benefit you is not showing up for days on end and making it harder for yourself to show up when your days start to become normalized. So if you were to show up for those 10 minutes and in those 10 minutes, This is how I program with my clients. They have timing options. They know exactly what they're supposed to do in those 10 minutes. So that when those times where they have, if their programs are for 40 minute workouts or 30 minute workouts, when their life normalizes again, and they have the capacity and the timing to fit the full workout in, the comeback is less and they just switch right in. They have not lost anything because they are consistently taking action over seeking perfection. And it's just Consciously incorporating those core values and your vision of success and keeping and staying committed to them amid chaos. It can be hard. Trust me. I am someone who's an achiever, and when life gets chaotic, adapting my routines feels really uncomfortable. Doubts of, am I doing enough, do creep in, but you have to stay convicted in the fact that this is only a small season. Things will calm down if you start prioritizing perfection over action. You're not going to help yourself find success. Takeaway number three. Create a minimum viable routine for busy days. Another quote by Robert Collier here is, Success is a small effort. Repeat it day in, day out. So think of those busy days. You're gonna have them. Maybe you're having them right now. If you are in motherhood, the days can feel long, but the years are short. I don't know how your fall season is shaping up, but I feel like as soon as we start a month, we're about ready to begin the new, the next month. I am just blown away as to how fast these days or months are flying by. These days are flying by. If you create that routine, That bare minimum. It's not lowering your standards, not lowering your standards to accept less. It's, this is the minimal viable routine you can maintain without stressing yourself or guilting and shaming yourself that you should be able to handle it all or have the capacity for full workouts and everything you wish to do on one of your most matic days. That is not what we're in because it is about showing up and doing it. Within your capacity, creating those small efforts every single day. So think about those days where everything goes wrong. Instead of skipping your workout, commit to those 10 minutes. You're still making progress. I hate the saying, lower your standards. I think what we should really be saying is honor your capacity and your enoughness. Because I feel like sometimes when we say lower the standards, it's wrapped up in guilt and shame that you're not enough or good enough. What I've seen, and when I have had clients switch this mindset, when they focus on that minimum viable routine to still meet their goals, it allows them to be like, yes, My ultimate goal is obtainable because I am still showing up. Like I said, when that concept of lowering the bar comes in, environmental cues for success. This quote comes from a really great book. It's been a popular book for a while. You may not have heard of it or maybe you have heard it and read it. I think it's a good read. It's Atomic Habits by James Clear. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your system. I like this because you know, systems aren't about controlling every aspect of your day. Systems help set you up for success. Most often they allow you to actually have the capacity to take on more. So if you look at your environment and here is one that I'll use in the context of my clients is most of my clients. work from home in some capacity, but they have a home. Oftentimes with my clients, they have in home childcare. And when they open that office door to go into the next spot to do their workout, while they have childcare there, when you cross that threshold, you've become mom again. Your child sees you, the asks come, and it causes more friction for you to get to your workout. So I will have clients that. bring some workout equipment into their office, bring your workout clothes, bring your couple pairs of dumbbells, get a workout in before you kind of commute home, that crossing that threshold from your office to your home space. Some clients have the capacity or their layout of their home, they can sneak to wherever they are at because it's separated. But if you're finding that you do have some sort of home workout equipment, workout area, but you have to traverse across the house or kind of go into the communal area and that's going to be a distraction. Again, going back to no amount of willpower is going to save you. That if you bring it to you to take out those distractions. Hurdles or those decisions it's going to aid in your benefit You're going you're more likely to show up when you are when you have a long day of Meetings that are back to back. I tell my clients let's think ahead like if you have a meeting I get you can't eat on video conference calls or in a conference in person conference Room, but let's feel yourself before let's make sure we really kind of top off so to speak that the tank and make sure we get some food in us prior to the meeting and then make sure we know exactly what we're going to eat after the meeting. What that does is, you know, when you get really hangry and you're like, I really wanted to eat, insert whatever nutrient dense food, but you've got a smell of something that is not as non nutrient dense and We're highly processed and you're like, Oh man, I should have, well, again, going back to that quote, the key to willpower is not to use it. There's no amount of willpower if you are starving and you're like, Oh my goodness, just give me food now. I need food now. You're going to grab what is easiest and quickest. There's no amount of willpower that's going to save you there. So if you can think, okay, you know what, tomorrow I've got meetings stacked up. I'm going to pack myself an extra lunch here or an extra snack here to have before my meeting and being intentional about it. And then after my meeting, you know what I've already pre planned or maybe you don't pack your lunch and you're like, I'm going to pre order this so that it's delivered to my office or wherever. That it's already set up for you. You're taking that decision out of it because when you are hangry, you're not going to be making the best decisions. You're setting yourself up for failure versus success there. Maybe you want to start working out early in the morning. Don't wait till 5am to pull out your clothes from wherever they are because you're not going to, you're like, Oh, I don't want to wake anybody up. Lay your clothes out. There are a number of times when I get up early and I don't want to wake up it. My husband's sleeping, so I'll put my clothes in the bathroom. We have a bathroom connected to the primary bedroom, so I put everything in there, quickly turn off the alarm, get into the bathroom, do everything I need, quietly sneak out, and everything's there. Maybe it's pre set your coffee so that it automatically goes off. Maybe that's one where you're trying to cut down on extra sugars or even financially you don't want to get coffee every morning, so. Preset your coffee maker for me. I like my coffee before my workout. I don't drink at all But like I like a few sips of coffee Before getting into my run or my run and strength training. So our coffee is preset. So I know it goes off It's already down there. Well, I'm getting up and getting ready. I come down grab my coffee my shoes My sneakers are right next to my treadmill in the gym So I'll have to go find my shoes with my clients with our workouts. I say hey Take the five minutes, set up your workout area, especially if it's in the morning. And I understand evenings you're exhausted. I get it. I'm right there with you. Create the routine. Your future self needs and knowing your current self isn't going to like that. Setting yourself up for success. Sometimes we have to experience that good friction to set ourselves up for success because At 5 a. m. You're not going to want to hunt around the house for your shoes for your workout equipment Look over your workout because what's going to happen that's extra time that's going to take away from your workout You're going to feel defeated that you woke up early and you got quote unquote Nothing done or a shorter workout. So if you just say hey, you know what i'm going to focus On just quickly getting this done setting myself up for success So I get into my workout in the early morning you're going to feel much better. So I challenge you to look at your days, find what is simplest for you to start to set yourself up for success. It may not be starting with your workouts. It may be programming your coffee. It may be silencing all or locking down all social media. So that's not the first thing you look at. And you don't spend the extra 20 minutes in bed. You get up and get out of your bed. It may be laying your clothes out in the morning, work clothes, clothes for the day or workout clothes. It may be designing your schedule and writing down your workout, or it may be getting used to a 10 minute workout when you know you have a 30 or a 40 minute workout on the thing. So that was a lot. Like I said, do the actions that feel most comfortable for you. So wrapping up the four takeaways make the decisions ahead of time to avoid decision fatigue number two focus on the process of setting yourself up for success and recognize that all Actions contribute to the big picture. Okay, I'm gonna say that again all actions Bigger, small, all actions contribute to that bigger picture. Number three, create a minimum viable routine for busy days. That one I'm going to say is a non negotiable. If that's easy for you to start there, start there. But when you can unlock that man, you are unstoppable. Okay. Creating that minimum viable routine for those busy days is Paramount and then setting up environmental cues to support your goals. And by that, it's not labeling things. Maybe you have to put that, which is, I'm all for a mantra, man. Like maybe you have to put a mantra on your, your bathroom mirror, do it. But maybe it's scrolling it up, eat before meeting, boom, take it out again, create that future routine that your future self needs. But knowing your current self probably is like, yeah, I got this. But your future self is like, I need help. Why can't you help me? So it's huge. Know that all small steps are incredible and simple doesn't always mean easy. So when you're going through this, know that there's going to be a little friction. Know that it's going to feel like work. You're going to trial some things. It's not going to work out. That's okay. Stay curious. See what sets yourself up for success. and align yourself with that. Each person is different. I can tell you that. And the, oh my goodness, almost two decades of coaching from coaching college athletes to, um, Every day individuals looking to find consistency and build that strength for themselves for life and athletic competitions Every individual is different and what works for someone else may not work for you So to be okay with Setting yourself up, looking for different, looking different for you. And that's a thousand percent. Okay. Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of miles from review. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please, please take a moment, follow and rate the podcast because your support not only helps myself reach more amazing listeners like you, but it also allows us to continue sharing valuable insights and inspiration inspiration until next time, stay strong.