How to make progress exciting again (even if you're stuck)

Summary

This script discusses the challenges of maintaining consistent progress over time and offers strategies to keep motivation high. It suggests that while discipline is key, passion acts as a catalyst for success. The speaker proposes taking breaks or making strategic changes to routines to overcome stagnation and procrastination. Examples from fitness, learning instruments, and language acquisition illustrate how alternating focus can lead to more efficient and enjoyable progress, ultimately suggesting that embracing change can be a natural rhythm to drive personal growth.

Takeaways

• 😀 Consistent progress over time is often more challenging than making initial progress due to the potential for boredom or loss of motivation.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The enjoyment of a new activity can diminish over time, leading to a decrease in motivation, which can be particularly problematic for activities requiring long-term commitment like fitness or learning new languages.
• 🔄 Procrastination can be a sign that we need to make a change in our routine, indicating a need for variety or a reassessment of our goals and progress.
• 🌟 Motivation and passion can act as 'extra fuel' for disciplined individuals, enhancing their progress towards goals.
• 🔄 Taking a break from an activity can sometimes rejuvenate interest and motivation, but it's important to consider the potential negative impacts on progress in certain areas like fitness.
• 🛠️ Strategic changes to routines, rather than complete breaks, can help maintain progress and prevent stagnation while also addressing a lack of motivation.
• 🧐 Assessing whether you are making progress and are satisfied with your routine is crucial before deciding to make changes.
• 🎯 Having clear goals and understanding what you want can help in planning and making strategic changes to routines to keep progress exciting and motivating.
• 🏠 Using metaphors like a jigsaw puzzle, house construction, or gardening can help visualize the process of making strategic changes in various areas of life to maintain overall progress.
• 🤸‍♂️ In fitness, periodization—a systematic planning of training cycles—can help prevent plateaus and keep progress interesting and effective.
• 🎼 For skills like playing an instrument, changing practice methods or focusing on different aspects of learning can keep the process engaging and promote continued improvement.
• 📚 Applying the concept of strategic changes to studying can make learning more dynamic, such as alternating between different subjects or types of exercises within a study session.

Q & A

What is the main challenge discussed in the script regarding making progress?

The main challenge discussed is making consistent progress over a long period without quitting or getting distracted, which can be hard but doesn't have to be.

Why does the initial excitement for a new activity tend to fade over time?

The excitement fades because the novelty wears off, leading to a decrease in motivation and eventually, if not addressed, a sense of dread or procrastination regarding the activity.

What is the role of motivation and passion in maintaining consistency in progress?

Motivation and passion act as extra fuel, helping individuals to push through the desire to procrastinate and maintain consistency, especially when progress slows down.

Why might taking a break from an activity be beneficial?

Taking a break can rejuvenate an individual, potentially reigniting their motivation and passion for the activity, allowing them to return with a fresh perspective and renewed energy.

What is the concept of 'periodization' in the context of fitness?

Periodization is the practice of making planned changes to a workout routine to keep progress consistent and prevent stagnation or boredom.

How can strategic changes to a routine help maintain motivation?

Strategic changes can provide new challenges and variety, preventing boredom and helping to sustain interest and motivation in the activity.

What is the 'limus test' mentioned in the script for evaluating a routine?

The 'limus test' involves assessing whether you are making progress and whether you are happy with your current routine. If both conditions are met, it suggests continuing with the routine until one of the conditions changes.

Why is it important to consider whether you enjoy what you're currently doing in your routine?

Enjoyment is crucial because if you're not enjoying your routine, it may not be the best use of your time and effort, and you might be missing out on other activities that could be more fulfilling and productive.

How can the concept of working on a jigsaw puzzle be applied to making progress in life?

The jigsaw puzzle concept suggests that you can work on different areas of your life (like different parts of a puzzle) even if you get stuck in one area, ensuring overall progress continues.

What are some examples of strategic changes one could make in their fitness routine?

Examples include changing the type of exercise (e.g., from squats to lunges), altering the sets and reps, or modifying the grip width during exercises to introduce variety and maintain progress.

How can the idea of 'unwalked paths' be applied to personal growth and development?

The 'unwalked paths' concept encourages exploring new areas of interest or skills that one has not yet pursued, which can lead to personal growth and prevent stagnation in one's development.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Consistent Progress and Motivation

The paragraph discusses the difficulty of maintaining consistent progress over time and the natural ebb and flow of motivation. It suggests that while discipline is crucial, passion and motivation act as 'extra fuel' that can enhance progress. The speaker introduces the idea that taking a break or making strategic changes can be beneficial, rather than pushing through lack of motivation, which may indicate a need for change. The importance of measuring progress and the psychological benefits of change are highlighted, with the suggestion that changes should be strategic and goal-oriented.

05:01

🏋️‍♂️ Fitness and the Benefits of Change

This paragraph delves into the concept of making strategic changes in fitness routines to maintain progress and excitement. It explains that even professional athletes and serious fitness enthusiasts modify their routines to keep things fresh and avoid stagnation. The paragraph introduces the idea of 'periodization' and emphasizes the psychological benefits of change, such as increased enjoyment and motivation. It also provides examples of how to make these changes, such as alternating between different exercises or adjusting sets and reps, to keep the body challenged and progress ongoing.

10:02

🎸 Exploring New Horizons in Skill Development

The speaker expands the discussion to include skill development beyond fitness, such as learning to play an instrument or a new language. They suggest that after establishing a solid foundation in a skill, it's beneficial to explore related areas to keep the learning process exciting and to prevent plateaus. Examples include alternating between learning songs and improving fundamental skills on an instrument, or focusing on conversational skills and then moving on to studying idioms in language learning. The paragraph encourages mixing and matching different aspects of learning to maintain interest and progress.

15:03

🌟 Embracing Life's Natural Rhythm for Progress

In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on the broader concept of progress and change in life. They liken the alternation of activities to the natural rhythm of life, such as the changing of seasons or the alternation of day and night, and suggest that embracing this rhythm can help us achieve our goals. The paragraph concludes with a reminder that while consistency is key, the desire for change is also a natural part of growth, and that making strategic changes can help us overcome procrastination and maintain momentum towards our objectives.

📚 Additional Resources for Fitness Enthusiasts

The last paragraph serves as a brief notice to the audience about additional resources available for those interested in fitness, such as a free fitness routine, a fitness book, and a fitness app. This paragraph is more of a call to action for the audience to engage further with the content and philosophy discussed in the video script.

Keywords

💡Progress

Progress refers to the act of moving forward or advancing towards a goal. In the context of the video, it highlights the importance of consistent advancement over time in various aspects of life, such as fitness, learning new skills, or personal development. The script mentions that making consistent progress can be challenging but is essential for achieving long-term goals.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the internal drive that encourages individuals to take action towards their goals. The video discusses how motivation and passion can act as 'extra fuel' for individuals, enhancing their productivity and desire to continue working towards their objectives. The script suggests that maintaining motivation is crucial for overcoming procrastination and achieving consistency in one's efforts.

💡Consistency

Consistency is the practice of maintaining a regular and steady approach to an activity or task. The video emphasizes the significance of being consistent in one's efforts to make progress, especially in areas requiring sustained attention such as fitness routines or language learning. Consistency is portrayed as a key factor in achieving results and overcoming the initial excitement phase of new activities.

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions. The script addresses procrastination as a common obstacle in making progress, suggesting that it can be a sign that a change in routine or approach is needed. It also implies that overcoming procrastination is vital for maintaining momentum towards one's goals.

💡Strategic Changes

Strategic Changes refer to deliberate and purposeful modifications made to one's routine or approach to achieve better results or rekindle interest. The video suggests that making strategic changes can help combat stagnation and maintain excitement in one's pursuit of progress. It provides examples of how altering workout routines or study methods can inject novelty and effectiveness into one's efforts.

💡Periodization

Periodization is a training concept often used in fitness and sports, where the training routine is divided into distinct periods or cycles with specific goals and intensities. The script introduces periodization as a method for managing workout routines to ensure continuous progress and prevent plateaus, thereby keeping the training process engaging and effective.

💡Repetitions (Reps)

Repetitions, often shortened to 'reps', refer to the number of times an exercise movement is performed. The video discusses varying the number of reps in a workout to target different aspects of physical development, such as strength, muscle growth, or endurance. Changing the rep range is presented as a strategic way to keep fitness routines fresh and challenging.

💡Sets

Sets are groups of repetitions performed consecutively for a particular exercise. The script mentions changing the number of sets as a way to modify a workout routine, which can influence the intensity and volume of the training, contributing to overall progress and variety in one's fitness journey.

💡Isometrics

Isometrics refer to a type of exercise where the muscle length does not change while the tension in the muscle increases. The video mentions isometrics as a method of training that can be varied in one's routine to provide a different kind of challenge and stimulus to the muscles, contributing to overall fitness and strength.

💡Guilt

Guilt is an emotional response to perceived failures or shortcomings. In the script, guilt is mentioned as a potential consequence of not addressing 'unwalked paths' or unfulfilled goals, which can lead to procrastination and low self-esteem. Addressing these areas can help alleviate guilt and reignite motivation.

💡Puzzle Metaphor

The Puzzle Metaphor is used in the script to illustrate the concept of making progress in different areas of life. It suggests that just as one can work on various parts of a jigsaw puzzle, one can also focus on different aspects of personal development, switching focus when progress stalls in one area to maintain overall advancement.

Highlights

Making consistent progress over years without quitting or getting distracted can be hard, but there are ways to make it easier.

Initial excitement for a new activity often fades over time, leading to procrastination and reduced motivation.

Consistency and hard work are crucial for achieving significant results, even when motivation wanes.

Procrastination can signal the need for change if progress feels slow or stagnates.

Taking a break from an activity can rejuvenate motivation and prevent burnout.

Strategic changes to routines can maintain progress and keep activities engaging.

Assess whether progress is being made and if the current routine is enjoyable before deciding on changes.

Small, strategic changes in routines can lead to faster overall progress by exploring different aspects of a skill or activity.

Alternating between different areas of focus can help overcome plateaus and provide new perspectives.

For fitness, periodization involves planned changes to workout routines to keep progress consistent.

Exploring different exercises or variations can prevent progress from stalling and maintain motivation.

Changes in routine should align with personal goals and interests to be effective and enjoyable.

In learning new skills, a solid foundation should be built before exploring different aspects or related skills.

Mixing primary focus with secondary interests within a routine can maintain engagement and progress.

Scheduled breaks during study or work sessions can improve focus and productivity.

Understanding and embracing natural rhythms and cycles in life can enhance progress and overcome challenges.

Procrastination can sometimes be a sign of the need for a strategic change rather than just a lack of discipline.

Transcripts

hey Friends making progress can be hard

sometimes right or more specifically

making progress can be easy making

progress consistently over years and

years without quitting or getting

distracted that can be hard but it

doesn't have to be there are ways to

make progress easier and more

consistently and be more motivated

throughout the process and here's how

and the answer may be a little simpler

and more intuitive than we think so at

some point in your life you might have

tried something that was fun and

exciting at first maybe a fitness

routine a new sport with friends or even

just learning a new skill like a new

language over time you may notice a

trend you look forward to this thing at

first like a game you can't wait to get

off work or school and start playing it

again and then the effect dies down a

bit you still like it but not quite as

much as you did when you first started

and then you're neutral about it and

eventually if you work hard you dread it

and it's not a big deal for things like

video games or things we do for fun

because we can just come back to it

later but it can be a pretty big problem

for things like Fitness and learning new

languages because they require more

consistency and because require

consistency you'll sometimes

procrastinate even if you're an

extraordinarily dedicated individual

sometimes you'll just feel like putting

it off and around this point for things

like Fitness and work and learning you

might be told to push past that keep

doing push through the desire to

procrastinate and be lazy and you can

reap the reward that's on the other side

of that you may have heard motivational

quotes like boring is what wins

consistency really matters or put into

work even when it feels hard and this

can be very valid advice consistency and

hard work are where a lot of results

happen however and I decided I'm going

to move around for this video I think of

motivation and passion as extra fuel if

you take two equally disciplined

individuals the more passionate one is

more likely to win because their work

time and their playtime are going to go

towards their goal and more importantly

while procrastination can be an issue if

left unchecked of course procrastination

can also be a sign that we need to make

a change if we lack the motivation that

we once had it could be a sign from our

mind and body that we need to do

something different and they're not

always wrong maybe we're not as

motivated because progress is coming

slower than it should and we feel that

intuitively even if we haven't

recognized it up here maybe progress has

stopped altogether or maybe we're not

even sure what progress we're making and

we need a better way to measure these

are all things that can affect

motivation thankfully there's a pretty

easy solution for all of this just take

a break from whatever it is you're doing

maybe do something else for a few months

and then come back and you might be

rejuvenated but wait a second you might

think whoa Hampton hang on hold your

horses Nelly

wouldn't taking a break actually slow

down our progress and in fact if we stop

we might actually go backwards in

progress and yes in Fitness for example

this is a very valid concern the reason

many coaches advise trainees against

changing their routines too often is

because it makes progress harder to

measure Plus in many fields improvements

often come from doing the same thing

over and over again and making slight

improvements over time we tend to get

diminishing returns as we get more

advanced but it's better than stopping

and again this doesn't matter as much

for things like Hobbies like playing

guitar or cooking and I like both of

those things but I don't do them for a

living and I'm not like super focused on

improving so I can take a break pretty

much whenever I want and come back later

but for areas where we want or need to

make consistent progress like our job

our studies our fitness and health it

can matter a lot so instead of stopping

our routine we can make changes

strategic changes instead of pausing our

routine we can modulate it so if you

want a visualization if your progress

line is slowing down over time you can

pivot and even though you're not going

the exact same direction you're still

making faster progress over time but how

we change is super important they need

to be strategic changes there are good

ways and bad ways or better ways and

worse ways and it depends on our goals

the first thing you might want to

consider is if you should make a change

at all because you might not have to yet

the limus test I use is are you making

progress and are you happy with your

current routine this can apply to

Fitness studying or anything in which

you're trying to make progress because

if you are making progress and you like

what you're doing then I would just keep

doing that until one of those two

conditions change this one's an easy one

don't worry too much about what other

people might say because your situation

might be different however if progress

slows down or especially if it slows to

a crawl then you may want to consider

changes and even if that's not an issue

or you believe that doing what you're

currently doing is the best way for you

to get results then you might want to

ask yourself a follow-up question which

is do you enjoy what you're currently

doing is it the best way to spend your

time and effort and if not then you may

also want to consider changing changes

and I'll explain why those two

conditions are important the key is to

make subtle strategic routine changes in

areas you want to improve anyway so

think about your current routine what

are you improving what are you working

on and even if it's nothing don't worry

that happens you can start whenever next

consider what you think you should work

on we usually already have a few

thoughts in the back of our minds maybe

we know we want to lose or gain weight

but we haven't had the time yet or we've

always wanted to learn a new language or

an instrument most of us already have

goals that we haven't pursued yet or

haven't pursued to the degree that we

want we all have unfinished side quests

so to speak and these unw walked paths

as I'll call them if we leave them too

long they can Fester into guilt

procrastination and low self-esteem

because we know we want to work on them

and we just haven't kind of like an

unrealized dream but if we go through

life knowing that we'll make changes

sometimes and these paths actually

become full of potential and give us

even more room to blossom and grow think

about working on a large jigsaw puzzle

after you start to connect a few pieces

you'll start noticing there are many

different areas you can work on it might

seem pleasing to your mind if you say

start left and work your way right but

it doesn't have to work out that way and

it usually doesn't you can work on one

spot of the puzzle and after you get

stuck or progress slows down then you

can work on other parts that you already

know that you want to work on you may

not be making progress in the same area

but you're still making overall progress

in areas you want or need to do anyway

if you want to finish the whole puzzle

right so overall progress is not stopped

or even slowed and more importantly

you're making more progress faster

progress than if you spent your effort

and time trying to Brute Force the

places where you were stuck in fact the

new pieces you connect and the new areas

you complete might help clarify or give

context when you eventually go back to

the places you were stuck and of course

this is just a metaphor but it really

helped me when I started to see my life

this way and you can use the metaphor of

a puzzle or you can think of a house

after you lay the foundation you can

work on different rooms or you can think

of a garden where you can cultivate

different plants but let's go to some

real world examples and since we're a

fitness channel supposed to be a Channel

we can start with the fitness example

and it might seem familiar to you

because if you've ever worked out then

you most likely have applied this to

your Fitness at some point even if

unintentionally the vast majority of

people I know don't stick to the same

workout routine for their entire lives

from people who rarely work out to

professional athletes for example people

who are less serious about Fitness might

try different workout Trends they may

work for a little while then they take a

break or they move on to something else

and if that's you don't worry too much

exercise isn't going anywhere gravity

isn't going anywhere you'll be here when

you want it hopefully and people who are

serious about their Fitness track their

progress like the weight they can lift

or the muscle they've gained and they

actually make plan changes to their

routine to keep progress consistent this

concept has been around for a long time

but is sometimes called periodization so

as you can see we can benefit from

adding changes to our routines but we

have to make the right ones for our

goals but in the context of this video

I'm talking about making changes if you

already want to make them maybe your

progress is slow down or stopped or

you're sick and tired of doing the same

thing and you want to try something else

and from that you can see that even if

there were no physical benefits there

are still psychological benefits again

it's a lot more fun when progress feels

exciting but there are physical benefits

because you're practicing things that

you want to practice anyway and in any

case you can make strategic changes

within your goals to keep progress

moving and the ideal changes will depend

on the goals you have because say if you

just want overall Fitness then you have

much more freedom to explore different

exercises let's say you're working on

squats and you have some stall progress

you could perhaps work on lunges you're

still working your legs and you're still

building strength and muscle and

Mobility so you won't lose much if any

progress in your squats and you're just

coloring a different part of the board

again this works for you if you want

overall Fitness or even overall strength

if you stay diligent and Progressive on

your lunges you'll come back as strong

or stronger with your squats if you

alternate between squats and lunges and

do this around one or twice a year then

you can effectively double the number of

exercises you're working on because

you'd swap back and forth and wouldn't

have to cram them all into the same

trading sessions by the way you can swap

back and forth between two things but

you can add more if you want you can

swap between three or four but that's

really only if you don't really care

about specializing in any particular

thing you just want to explore on the

other hand some people really want to

focus on a specific exercise maybe you

just want to really get your bench press

numbers up if you change the push-ups or

weed dips that might work all right but

you want to bench press maybe you're

competing or maybe just really like the

exercise I totally get it I've been

obsessed with certain exercises before

many times in this case you can keep the

exercise but change the sets and Reps

you do if you've been focusing on the 6

to9 rep range you can try increasing the

weight and going down to 3 to 5 or

lowering the weight and exploring 15 to

20 reps you can think of it as building

strength muscle or endurance but

functionally it's just exploring

different rep and set ranges but again

explore things that you want or need

later if your goal is strength and

building some muscle probably wouldn't

hurt and vice versa but if you really

don't want to change any of that then

you can just change things like the grip

width you can alternate between standard

and narrow I guess narrow bench press is

more like this depending on the person I

train a lot with isometrics so for me

the change is easy I just change the

angle and from here we can see that

progress never really stalls or stops

because there are so many different

Dimensions to our progress even if you

reached your theoretical genetic limit

on a muscle highly unlikely by the way

you still work on your endurance or

muscle capacity or mobility and you can

mix and match these for example if you

want to change the lower reps and higher

weight you can still include some higher

rep sets in your accessory work after

you do your main sets hope this isn't

too much detail some people dislike the

following but I recommend sometimes

pursuing the changes that interest you

yes hard productive work is not always

fun sometimes we have to do things even

though they're hard however our work the

grind doesn't have to be miserable all

the time either it's possible to enjoy

what we're doing while we're working

hard yes consistency is very important

it's how we make and measure progress we

accomplish tremendous Feats over small

increments of improvement Over time

however if you have been consistently

working on something for a while you may

naturally have a desire to explore for

Fitness maybe you want to challenge

yourself on different exercises or if

you primarily like strength and Mobility

maybe you would like some bodybuilding

at some point by the way muscle can be

really useful even if you don't want to

be a bodybuilder I mentioned that

earlier but it's something I want to

discuss more in my content like a lot of

the things we do for muscle building is

also increasing muscle capacity so

you're still building strength you are

building functionality and stability

sometimes and very notably more control

because you can hold or move the stuff

longer more times the types of changes

we make within our routine could be a

whole video within itself let me know if

you're at all interested but what about

some examples outside of Fitness after

all the title and concept was about how

to make progress exciting again how do I

keep feeling excited and motivated about

other things in life well firstly we may

have to ask our some questions and more

clearly Define our goals to understand

what we want and after we know what we

want or think we know what we want then

we can make a plan to better move in

that direction so let's say for example

you always want to learn to play an

instrument like the guitar you might

want to ask yourself if you specifically

like the guitar or if you just want to

play music because if you like overall

music and you have Ambitions to learn

different things then you could

alternate between instruments like

bringing the piano for a few weeks or

months however if you specifically want

to get better at the guitar and improve

faster which I kind of recommend then

you can just change the way you practice

ractice after you build a foundation and

you can play fairly competently you'll

realize there are many things you can

explore you can alternate between

learning songs and developing

fundamental skills for example to help

you learn songs faster you can brush up

on chord theory if that ever gets tiring

or boring then you can work on figure

style playing that applies to many of

these things by the way the exploration

usually comes after you build a solid

foundation like when I mentioned

building a house usually you want to get

the foundation down first before you

explore too much it'll help you remember

understand and use the skills that you

develop later on for things like

language anguage you could learn

multiple languages at the same time but

that might feel odd you probably will

feel more comfortable becoming

proficient with one language first and

the learning one language can help you

with other languages because there are

many shared Concepts but you could focus

on conversational skills for a while and

then study idioms or read related

cultural books or you can work on

writing a notable thing is that you can

mix and match these while watching this

video you might think well I don't want

to alternate too much I might forget

what I've learned you might want a more

holistic day-to-day learning experience

that covers everything with some

frequency and you can have that you

don't have to change everything you can

just change the focus if you want let's

say you practice for an hour a day or 20

minutes a day depending on how much time

you have you can spend 75% of that time

focusing on your main thing and then 25%

of the time on the other things you want

to work on so maintime practicing

conversation other times grammar or vice

versa practicing chords are practicing

conversational skills and then the

remainder can go into learning a song

you like or writing or vice versa by the

way I know a lot of you watching this

are in school and this can also apply to

studying homework and essays and stuff

because of the nature of school you

usually have to do multiple subjects at

once so you can't alternate too much but

within the context of a single study

session or homework session this is a

place where plan breaks can really help

before you start working set a timer for

30 minutes and when it goes off walk

around stretch and take a break set a

timer for that too like 5 minutes and

when it goes off you can come back

that's why I did in college and it

helped like hours sometimes I don't even

remember the subjects there are many

different potential fields that I'm

talking about and covering right now

we're just talking about learning in

general progress in general change in

general but some Fields may have ideal

ways to learn and you don't have to mess

up that formula I'm not suggesting you

go against everything you know to work

but if you're able to you can tweak some

of those variables to keep you more

interested and if that is keeping you

learning and progressing in an enjoyable

way at a good consistent Pace I'd say

it's pretty close to Ideal so as you can

see adding slight strategic changes to

our routines can be super helpful when

learning new things and developing new

skills I relate to the idea that after

we get into a good Groove and we're

comfortable

we finally found a routine that we like

we may not want to change I don't want

to disrupt that but after we're settled

in for a while we may naturally want to

explore and that's when we can consider

adding changes we're not wasting time

for building things that we wanted to

build at some point anyway understanding

this changed how I see the world almost

everything alternates to some degree and

it's this alternation that drives our

progress people can walk one foot and

then the other foot we don't think about

changing our steps we're just walking

forward we wake and then we sleep and

this keeps us growing and healthy

doesn't have to be only few things

either Wheels turn and pistons move up

and down this Powers engines and drives

us forward seasons change spring summer

fall winter and the cycle sustains life

on Earth by recognizing and embracing

this natural Rhythm of Life we can

simulate it to help us towards our goals

and overcome challenges procrastination

can be an issue not everything we like

to do is fun and it can sometimes stop

us from doing the things that we know we

need to do however sometimes it could be

a sign that we want to make a change or

need to make a change in this change can

help us keep moving forward I have a

free Fitness routine on the website as

well as a fitness book and a fitness app

if you want to incorporate some of these

philosophies into your training had a

beautiful day