How I Became Productive and Fit
Thoughts on motivation and productivity
Let’s look at this (non-philosophy) email from subscriber Andy:
Pat,
What I struggle with is motivation and diet. I used to freeze when thinking about going to the gym because I had no idea what to do. Now, I have all of these programs and ideas, thanks to you (and Reddit for suggesting I look you up on YouTube).
I'm a part-time assistant brewer at a local farm brewery. Alcohol is built into my almost-daily life. Aside from that, I have a real-deal full-time job, two kids, a wife, and pets. All the stuff.
My family is insanely picky with food. On a typical night, there's anywhere from two to four separate dinners being made. I tried to fight that battle and lost. Now, I just give in and eat crappy, unhealthy stuff most of the time.
I just can't seem to get myself to the gym. At all. I get pumped in the mornings, go to work, and lose all interest on the 25-minute drive home.
Any suggestions? You've got it all figured out, and I respect you immensely for that. If someone has answers, it's you.
Thanks for your time,
- Andy
First off, I definitely do not have everything figured out, and I hope nothing I write conveys otherwise. I work hard to get things done and to maintain perspective and balance where appropriate. Like anyone, I have my struggles and failures.
Nevertheless, I am able to accomplish quite a bit because of how I structure my day. In the past 16 months, I have written two books — one a rather long philosophical treatise, the other fitness-related — published several academic articles and numerous popular-level articles and blogs, and started a PhD program.
Additionally, I joined a Van Halen tribute project and learned a substantial amount of new material on guitar. I’ve continued to expand my Strong ON! business with the help of my wife and even launched the Kettlebell Quickies channel, producing bi-weekly videos. We have soon-to-be six children, whom we homeschool.
On the fitness front, I have maintained considerable leanness (less than 10% body fat) while consistently making progress in the big lifts. I feel harder, meaner, and leaner this year than ever before, despite having more obligations and projects. I take no drugs and only a few supplements, occasionally fish oil and ashwagandha.
The first piece of advice I want to share is something well-studied and confirmed in my experience but rarely appreciated: real, lasting motivation—sometimes called self-ownership—actually comes after you adhere to an effective process.
But how do you adhere to a process apart from motivation? It sounds like a classic Catch-22.
This is where a distinction can be made between types of motivation:
Internal Motivation: This is where we have all the drive within us, being self-reliant.
External Motivation: Here, much of the drive is external, in the form of coaches, community, culture, or all of the above.
The trick, then, is to first rely on external motivation to get started and stay on the path. Coaches and community are your best bet—people to inspire you and hold you accountable.
Over time, as results set in, you see the real power of the process. That's when you become internally motivated; you no longer need the motivational training wheels. You can kick them away and ride entirely by yourself (whether you want to is another question). You become self-reliant.
So, in other words, you become self-reliant by first realizing nobody starts out being self-reliant. You start out relying on other people. That's how it went for me. I was tubby, I joined a martial arts program, and I was coached and held accountable by my mentors and community. As I began seeing results, I fell in love with the process; I began wanting to work just for the sake of it.
Self-reliance wasn't the beginning, and it's a mistake to think it should be. You become self-reliant, ironically, with help.
So that’s what I have to say about the motivational side of things. Now, here’s what I have to say about the practical, actually-getting-stuff-done side of things:
Be ruthless with your time. My day is extremely monotonous and divided fairly evenly among the important tasks I must complete: business, researching, writing, content creation, guitar, and working out. I get up, drink coffee, and get to work. I shut the door and stay on the job until the job is done. Here, I recommend the book "The War of Art."
Swallow the biggest frog first. Whatever the hardest, ugliest project is for the day—whether it be a workout, a Van Halen solo, or an essay—gets my best energy and attention.
Run a tight family ship. For us, everybody eats what mom cooks, and mom cooks healthily. No personalized orders. Eat what you’re served or go to bed hungry—and that goes for me, too (kids aren’t the only picky ones!).
Show up. Like everyone, I’m not always super motivated to work hard at everything every day. But I always show up—at my writing desk, at the gym, with my guitar in hand. Once you show up, the work sort of begins to complete itself. Honestly, just focus on putting your body where it needs to be, particularly the gym, and you will be amazed at how much gets done. Here, I recommend the book "Do the Work."
Set realistic expectations. I understand that everything is a grind, and real progress comes only through consistent effort. I don’t expect quick fixes or to become an overnight success at anything. Music taught me early on that nothing good comes easy: if you want to get good at something, work hard and start yesterday.
Avoid contamination. I don’t surround myself with things—including people—that hinder my productivity. Our house doesn’t have any junk food in it, and I have locks and limits on social media use.
It’s all about the don’ts. I don’t stay up late. I don’t binge-watch crappy television. I don’t go out partying. I don’t—except on rare occasions—drink alcohol or eat dessert. People often don’t like to hear about the don’ts, but the don’ts are essential. Life—success, if you prefer—is all about managing compromise. It’s not just about what you’re willing to give, but what you’re willing to give up, that makes the difference.
Final point: When I was younger, I was a big excuse maker—whenever somebody would tell me what I had to do to get better at something, including getting in shape, I would spout off a list of excuses as long as your arm. Too expensive, not enough time, etc. The best thing that ever happened to me was getting coaches who were not afraid of offering tough love, of calling me out for my excuse making and making it very clear that the changes I wanted in my life weren’t going to happen unless I was willing to change to make them happen. On one level, I certainly didn’t want to hear what these coaches had to say; I wanted to hear that I could reach my goals with little time and little effort while still playing hours of video games and eating Little Debbie. As it turns out, that isn’t how reality operates. I can’t tell you exactly what flipped the switch for me: at some point, I just got fed up enough with being the chubby kid and decided to give martial arts a shot. I’m glad that I did.
I finish with just two more resources.
1) My book How to Be Better at (Almost) Everything.
2) My post The Fitness Plan You’ve Been Looking For.
- Pat