The Ripple Effect of Action: Motivation and Reward in Goal Setting

08/13/24 • 35 min

In today's episode, Lou discusses the power of streaks and the challenges of maintaining them. Drawing from personal experiences with swimming, podcasting, and step goals, Lou discusses the impact of breaking a streak and the difficulty of getting back on track. She explores practical strategies for creating and sustaining streaks, such as setting non-negotiables, establishing optimal targets, and using rewards.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Streaks can be powerful tools for achieving goals, but breaking them can make it difficult to get back on track.
Establish streaks for habits like steps, workouts, bedtime routines, etc., to work towards fitness goals.
Make streaks non-negotiable and have optimal targets to avoid an all-or-nothing approach.
Identify and eliminate excuses and blockers to make it easier to stay on track.
Setting deadlines and time blocking tasks can help maintain consistency and focus on achieving goals.

BEST MOMENTS

"We all know that nothing focuses the mind like the last minute, so just make sure you have set deadlines, whether that's a daily deadline, a time or maybe it's within the week you need to have done a certain task by."

"I'm a firm believer that, yes, you can have it all, but you really can't do it all at once. So you've really got to lean into what you want to focus on at the moment."

"Just remind yourself why you started. Why did you start the diet? Why did you start exercising? Why did you start going to the gym? Why did you start running? Why did you blah blah blah? You get the picture. Just remind yourself why you started."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
[email protected]

HOST BIO

Lou's personal journey with body confidence and food struggles began at the age of 15, where overeating and guilt around food consumed her. But everything changed during the lockdown in March 2020. Determined to regain control, Lou immersed herself in research, found joy in working out in her garden, and started tracking her nutrition and steps. Surprisingly, she lost a stone in less than three months and discovered a newfound love for fitness.

Fueling her passion, Lou pursued personal training qualifications and launched her Instagram page in September 2020. After months of building a solid foundation, branding, and gaining relevant expertise, she started helping others achieve what once felt impossible—losing fat, feeling empowered, and loving the journey without restrictions. With numerous success stories, digital products, and a thriving membership program called Train with Lou, Lou now coaches, teaches, and learns about food, exercise, and mindset.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Streaks can be powerful tools for achieving goals, but breaking them can make it difficult to get back on track.
Establish streaks for habits like steps, workouts, bedtime routines, etc., to work towards fitness goals.
Make streaks non-negotiable and have optimal targets to avoid an all-or-nothing approach.
Identify and eliminate excuses and blockers to make it easier to stay on track.
Setting deadlines and time blocking tasks can help maintain consistency and focus on achieving goals.

BEST MOMENTS

"I'm a firm believer that, yes, you can have it all, but you really can't do it all at once. So you've really got to lean into what you want to focus on at the moment."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
[email protected]

HOST BIO

Previous Episode

Swimming 10K with Olivia King

In this episode, Lou chat to Olivia King, a former professional athlete in swimming and rowing, as the guest. Olivia shares her journey from starting competitive swimming at a young age to transitioning to rowing and making the Canadian national team. She discusses her intense training regimen, including swimming 10k in a pool after a planned open water swim got canceled. Olivia provides insights into her training techniques, such as focusing on breathing, stroke rates, and using paddles for resistance training. Their conversation delves into the mental aspect of swimming, including thoughts during long swims and the importance of goal setting.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Olivia found a balance between school and swimming by transitioning to a public high school to experience a more normal high school life while still focusing on swimming and maintaining good grades.
Olivia emphasized the importance of race simulation in training, where she practiced her longest swim two weeks before the event to prepare for the actual race conditions and challenges.
Olivia highlighted the significance of breathing technique in swimming, emphasizing the importance of breathing to the opposite side to maintain balance and efficiency in the water.
Olivia discussed the use of paddles as a form of resistance training in swimming to improve arm strength and stroke efficiency, providing a way to enhance performance and technique.
Olivia shared insights into her mental approach during swimming, mentioning how she engages in self-reflection, technique correction, and even sings songs in her head to stay focused and motivated during long swims.

BEST MOMENTS

"I was taken to a pool, had to try out. So like little eight year old Olivia with the cap and goggles on got into lane eight and this coach watched me swim up and down the pool."

"I think that elite level of sport at such a young age was, it definitely had its benefits."

"I was so against waterproof headphones, only because I think the beauty of sport in general, and I think the beauty of individual sports, especially like being able to go for a run, or go for a swim, or even just go for a hike."

"I always teach the little kids this is you know when you go to blow into a tissue yeah blow your nose that's you breathe out under the water yeah so that when you go to turn your head to breathe all you have everything's out of you all you got to do is suck in."

"Swimming really has been like the OG of Restricted breathing and working on your VO2 and your cardio that way."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
[email protected]

HOST BIO

Next Episode

Debunking the Myths and Realities of Calorie Counting in Modern Dieting

In this episode, Lou joins The Rogue Treatment Podcast as she explores the topic of calorie counting and its effectiveness in weight loss. Together, they discuss the origins of calorie counting and its relevance in today's society. Lou explores the idea of calorie counting as a tool to counteract the impact of processed foods and chemicals in modern diets. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on whole foods and the 80-20 rule, where 80% of the diet consists of unprocessed, nutritious foods.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Calorie counting is a tool that can be effective for weight loss, but it's important to focus on the quality of food consumed, not just the quantity.
The 80-20 rule is a good approach to nutrition, where 80% of the diet consists of whole, unprocessed foods, and 20% can include indulgences like processed snacks.
Processed foods often contain additives that make them more addictive, leading to overconsumption and weight gain.
The origins of calorie counting date back to the 1820s, but it became popular as a weight loss tool after World War I.
Portion control and understanding the nutritional content of food are key factors in maintaining a healthy diet, whether or not calorie counting is used.

BEST MOMENTS

"Calories are not technically made equal. If you had a handful of peanuts and then you had peanut butter, your body is going to use more calories to process the peanuts."

"At what point did calorie counting become a thing to lose weight because of the impact of all the shit that we're ingesting that maybe causes us to increase weight?"

"No one ever got fat from eating too many vegetables. It is all the processed foods that we eat and it's all the additives in the processed foods that make us want more."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://linktr.ee/theexerciseengineer
[email protected]

HOST BIO