1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: tip is that if you want to run more, sign 4 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: up for a race. In other words, create a goal 5 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: with a deadline for anything you want to spend more 6 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: time doing. Specific goals really do motivate people, so when 7 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: one is an option, it can be wise to avail 8 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: yourself of the opportunity. I really do like to run. 9 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:47,480 Speaker 1: I like being outside. 10 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: And moving and getting in a better mood. As a 11 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: result of that, runners high. I like having time away 12 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 2: from the bustle of my full house, so I run 13 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 2: pretty regularly without any particular goal on the horizon. Indeed, 14 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 2: I once ran for eleven hundred days in a row, 15 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 2: and yet having signed myself up to run a half 16 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 2: marathon this fall, I find myself running more frequently and 17 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 2: covering greater distances too. Even with a fair amount of 18 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 2: intrinsic motivation, an external goal still helps. Why is that? 19 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: I think that probably many people have a vague sense 20 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: that it would be a good idea to run, but 21 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: on days when we don't particularly want to, the rational 22 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,479 Speaker 1: choice is not to run. Having a nebulous sense that 23 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: it's a good idea to run is not enough to 24 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: outweigh a specific desire to get ahead on a work project, 25 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: or start dinner or catch up on a few extra 26 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: minutes of sleep. It's not necessarily a lack of willpower 27 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: that keeps people from getting out the door. It's the 28 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: lack of our reason that is stronger than all the 29 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: reasons not to run. But when you sign up for 30 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 1: a race instantly you have a compelling reason to go run. 31 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: If you are running a marathon in three months and 32 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,839 Speaker 1: you consider skipping your long run on a Saturday because 33 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: you would rather sleep in, it is easy to realize 34 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,119 Speaker 1: that this may threaten your ability to run that marathon 35 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: on the date when it is supposed to happen, So 36 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: you will probably lace up your shoes and get going. 37 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: Maybe you don't do every run in your training plan, 38 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: you might get sick or be traveling for work, but 39 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: you do a lot of them because doing them will 40 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: help you finish. It seems so simple and obvious. Of course, 41 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: a specific goal with a specific deadline is motivating, and 42 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 1: yet we sometimes don't think we need such things, or 43 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: else we don't figure out how to create such goals. 44 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: For other things in our lives. For instance, if you 45 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: want your house to be decluttered, you are much more 46 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: likely to do it if a truck and three guys 47 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: will be showing up at your house in two weeks 48 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: for the two dozen boxes of donations that you promise them. 49 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: If you want to write a novel, doing the National 50 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: Novel Writing Month challenge with two friends is going to 51 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: be a lot more motivational than just thinking you will 52 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: write sometime. If you have a big presentation coming up, 53 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: then asking your work friends to set aside thirty minutes 54 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: to watch you rehearse is going to nudge you to 55 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: prepare the presentation by that time. You have a deadline 56 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: and you have people watching you definitely don't want to 57 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: screw this up. By giving yourself a reason to do 58 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: something like a deadline and accountability, you'll make it easier 59 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: to get it done. Even though I am intrinsically motivated 60 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: to run, I will probably sign up for a few 61 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: more races in the future. Perhaps you might find yourself 62 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: similarly motivated too. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks 63 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. 64 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, 65 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 66 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 67 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, 68 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.