Motivation vs. Discipline Mash Up: Why Habits Win

Pursuit of Wellness

Mari Llewellyn & Pursuit Network

Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Fitness, Nutrition

4.8 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 25 August 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ep. 199 - Motivation fades, but discipline lasts. In this mash-up, Mari, Sami Spalter, Tom McCarthy and Michael Chernow dive into one of the most important questions for anyone chasing growth: how do you stay consistent when motivation runs out? This episode blends real stories, practical strategies, and inspiring lessons around the theme of discipline as self-love. From the power of small wins to the “Three C’s” of transformation—Commitment, Confidence, and Courage—this episode gives you the tools to create lasting change in fitness, mindset, and life. This episode is packed with encouragement, actionable steps, and wisdom to help you recommit to your goals, show up for yourself, and keep going—even when it’s hard. Whether you’re working on your health, your career, or your mindset, you’ll walk away with tools to create wins every day and become the person you want to be. Leave Me a Message - click here! For Mari’s Instagram click here! For Pursuit of Wellness Podcast’s Instagram click here! For Mari’s Newsletter click here! Sponsored By: Upgrade your kitchen with Caraway’s non-toxic cookware. Visit http://carawayhome.com/WELLNESS10 or use code WELLNESS10 for 10% off your next purchase. Hungryroot makes healthy eating easy! Get 40% off your first box + a free item for life at hungryroot.com/POW with code POW. The first 1,000 to join at http://functionhealth.com/POW or use gift code POW at sign-up get a $100 credit toward their membership. Blissy is offering 60-nights risk-free PLUS an additional 30% off when you shop at Blissy.com/POWPOD. Experience skincare that targets acne and aging—without clogging your pores. Get 20% off your first order at clearstem.com/POW with code POW. Topics Discussed 00:00:08: Motivation vs. Discipline - building habits that stick (Solo) 00:03:40: CrossFit, accountability, and discipline as self-love (Sami Spalter) 00:11:06: Fitness teaching work ethic & pandemic walking 00:15:34: Mindset shift – leaving victim mentality behind (Tom McCarthy) 00:18:08: Visualization & subconscious reprogramming 00:22:42: Steps after visualization – focus, story, action 00:25:43: Identity shift – becoming an “athlete” & sobriety story 00:29:29: Discipline & asking for help – structured daily plan 00:38:27: Fitness in sobriety – daily wins, 3 C’s: Commitment, Confidence, Courage (Michael Chernow) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Pursuit of Wellness Podcast and I'm your host, Mari Lawellan.
0:08.5	What is up, guys? Welcome back to the show and we are talking motivation and productivity
0:14.9	tips. We all have had feelings of motivation before, but they don't stay very long.
0:20.0	Motivation is a fleeting feeling and
0:22.3	discipline is a consistent habit that allows you to take action even when you don't feel like it.
0:28.1	It's all about building habits that you do regardless of whether you feel like it or not. This will
0:32.9	allow you to do anything in life. When I first started my journey, I struggled to wake up early because it
0:39.3	was new for me. I struggled to pass up a sweet treat because that was new for me. I struggled to get to the
0:46.0	gym when I was tired or it was cold. I struggled getting in all my steps because I didn't want to.
0:52.4	I struggled driving back and forth from New York to
0:54.9	Philly to get my degree. I struggled sitting at the front desk of Orange Theory Fitness at 3am.
0:59.9	I struggled with everything. But after a while, I stopped even thinking about it. It stopped being a
1:06.8	choice and it just started to be my lifestyle. Things started to feel way more comfortable.
1:11.9	And that's how it becomes your life. It's how it becomes who you are. Your habits become
1:18.0	your new identity. What is currently holding you back? Is it that you need to wake up earlier? Are you not
1:25.1	achieving enough in the day? Do you need to create more
1:28.3	hours in your day? When I first started my fitness journey and I started all these new habits,
1:33.1	at first it was so uncomfortable. But the more I did it, the more comfortable it became. The more
1:39.0	I kept my own promises, the more confident I got. What are some things you can do to set
1:43.4	yourself up for success every
1:45.0	single day? I am someone who absolutely loves the calendar. If it's not in the Google calendar,
1:50.8	I'm not doing it. I like to time block. I like to see everything that's happening from workouts to
	...

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