Episode 51Mar 23, 2026· 7:39

Stop Waiting to Feel Motivated: Why Action Comes First

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About this episode

Short-form fitness podcast episode featuring a voice note from yoga teacher and podcast producer Jamie Brooke on the relationship between motivation and action. Covers the common pattern of waiting to feel motivated before exercising, the Atomic Habits concept that action creates motivation rather than the reverse, the brain's tendency to generate excuses when out of a movement habit, a real-life example of a…

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You keep telling yourself you'll start working out when you feel ready — when you have more energy, when the week calms down, when Monday comes — and Monday keeps arriving without anything changing.

You used to move your body regularly and it felt natural, but somewhere along the way you fell out of the habit and now the gap feels too wide to cross back over.

You've promised yourself you'd start so many times and didn't follow through that you've stopped trusting your own word to yourself.

You have objectively more free time than before — kids are older, work has slowed down, the schedule is lighter — and you still can't figure out why you're not moving more, which makes you feel worse about it.

You're someone who has actually made a physical change in your life and you recognize the version of yourself who couldn't get through 15 minutes of Zumba — and you don't want to go back there.

What you’ll learn

Stop waiting to feel motivated — action comes first, motivation follows

Recognize that the obstacle is never really time — it's the missing first step

Replace 'do I feel motivated today?' with 'what is the smallest action I can take right now?'

Understand how waiting erodes self-trust over time

Questions this episode wrestles with

Why do I know I should exercise but still not do it?

answered

Jamie says the brain is very good at generating excuses when motivation isn't there yet, and the longer you wait, the harder it gets — because you start to not even trust yourself after repeatedly saying you'd do it and not following through.

"definitely don't have time today. And the longer we wait for motivation to appear, the harder it becomes to start. Because we start to not even trust ourselves. We start to give up faith in what we're capable of doing. Because we said we were going to do it, and we didn't. Why would"

Is waiting until I feel ready just an excuse I'll never stop making?

answered

Jamie's position is yes — the brain will always find a reason to wait, whether it's rain, tiredness, or a busy schedule, and motivation almost never shows up on its own before you act.

"But the truth is, motivation almost never shows up first. There's a concept from the book Atomic Habits that completely reframes this. The idea is that action actually creates motivation, not the other way around. In other words, you don't"

Why am I less active now that I have more time than ever?

answered

Jamie shares the story of a retired friend who used to swim and walk regularly but still can't get started, and says the truth is we will always find reasons to prioritize something other than movement — the obstacle isn't time, it's the missing first step.

"and she can't walk, etc. The truth of the matter is that we will always find reasons to prioritize something different than the gym, than the walk, than eating healthier, because that is the issue. It's the fact that we don't have the motivation in order to start the action. And I hate to say"

If it's not about time, what is actually stopping me from moving?

answered

Jamie says the challenge is that first step — when you're out of the habit of moving, the brain waits for motivation to magically show up before taking action, but it doesn't work that way.

"reprioritize things. So the challenge really isn't the time, it's that first step. Because when you're out of the habit of moving, the brain waits for motivation to magically show up before taking action. But it doesn't work that way."

Does motivation ever just show up on its own, or do you always have to act first?

answered

Jamie's answer is that you always have to act first — once you go for the walk or roll out the yoga mat, your body starts remembering what it feels like to move, your mood changes, and that feeling is what builds real motivation.

"you go for the walk, once you make it to the gym, once you roll out the yoga mat. your body starts remembering what it feels like to move. Your energy shifts, your mood changes, and suddenly the thing that felt so hard to start actually makes you feel good. That feeling is what builds"

What if I take the first step and still don't feel motivated afterward?

open question

The episode doesn't address this scenario — Jamie frames the sequence as action → momentum → motivation without acknowledging what happens when that chain doesn't fire, leaving the question open.

"momentum. Momentum creates motivation. And motivation is what makes the habit stick. So if you're waiting to feel motivated before you start taking care of your health, you may be waiting forever. So"

Setting expectations: This episode is not a structured guide to building workout habits or a deep dive into the psychology of motivation. It's a short voice note from yoga teacher Jamie Brooke, followed by Ashley's personal reflection on how she would still be unable to climb a flight of stairs if she had kept waiting to feel motivated before moving.

Tone & style

The episode opens with the premise that motivation must come before action, then Jamie flips it — citing Atomic Habits and a retired friend who still can't get to the pool — landing on the reframe: ask 'what's the smallest action I can take right now?' Ashley closes by confirming it with her own story: she would still be the person who couldn't get through 15 minutes of Zumba if she had kept waiting to feel motivated.

Opinion and personal anecdote, with a loose reference to a concept from Atomic Habits. Not research-backed claims.

toneWarm & motivational

focusJamie argues that waiting to feel motivated before moving is a trap — action has to come first, and motivation follows from doing the thing.

styleinterview

energymedium_high

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Textureencouraging, personally vulnerable, conversational

Notable quotes

"But the truth is, motivation almost never shows up first. There's a concept from the book Atomic"

— Jamie Brooke

"definitely don't have time today. And the longer we wait for motivation to appear, the harder it becomes to start. Because we start to not even trust ourselves. We start to give up faith in what we're capable of doing. Because we said we were going to do it, and we didn't. Why would"

— Jamie Brooke

"that couldn't take a flight of stairs, that couldn't do a plank, that couldn't do a jumping jack, that couldn't get through 15 minutes of Zumba."

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

Organized into 6 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:001. Introducing Jamie BrookeAshley introduces the episode and her guest Jamie Brooke, a podcast producer and yoga teacher she met virtually through a podcasting course.1:072. The Myth That Motivation Comes FirstJamie argues that waiting to feel motivated before acting — 'when I feel motivated, I'll go to the gym' — is a misconception, and that the brain generates excuses the longer you wait, eroding self-trust.2:553. Action Creates Motivation, Not the Other Way AroundJamie references Atomic Habits to explain that taking the first step — going for the walk, rolling out the yoga mat — is what shifts your energy and mood, and that feeling is what builds real motivation.5:224. A Retired Friend Who Still Can't Get StartedJamie shares the example of a close friend who used to swim and walk regularly but, now retired with fewer obligations, still finds reasons not to move — illustrating that the obstacle is never really time.7:395. Start Small: What's the Smallest Action You Can Take Right Now?Jamie reframes the question from 'do I feel motivated?' to 'what is the smallest action I can take right now?' — suggesting a 10-minute walk or just putting on workout shoes — and closes with 'motivation is the result of doing the thing.'9:046. Ashley's Personal Reflection and Listener Call to ActionAshley echoes Jamie's message with her own experience — she would still be unable to climb stairs or get through 15 minutes of Zumba if she had kept waiting for motivation — and invites listeners to leave voice notes.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

personJamie Brooke

Podcast producer for health, fitness, and wellness podcasts and yoga teacher with a psychology background — the guest who sent a voice note arguing that action creates motivation, not the other way around.

bookAtomic Habits

Jamie references this book as the source of the concept that action creates motivation, not the other way around.

websitefamousashleygrant.com

Ashley's website where listeners are directed to leave voice notes about their fitness journeys.

websiteRSS.com

The platform through which Ashley hosted Podcasting 101, where she and Jamie first met virtually.

Key themes

Motivation comes after action, not before

Jamie's central argument is that waiting to feel motivated before going to the gym or walking is a misconception — action is what actually produces the feeling of motivation.

The brain generating excuses

Jamie describes how the brain reliably produces reasons not to start — 'it's raining,' 'I'm so tired,' 'maybe next week' — and how the longer you wait, the more excuses accumulate.

Waiting erodes self-trust

Jamie points out that repeatedly saying you'll start and then not starting causes you to stop trusting yourself and give up faith in what you're capable of.

Time is never really the obstacle

Jamie uses the example of her retired friend — no job, no kids at home — who still finds reasons not to swim or walk, to show that the real obstacle is not time but the absence of that first step.

Starting small to break inertia

Jamie reframes the question from 'do I feel motivated?' to 'what is the smallest action I can take right now?' — offering a 10-minute walk or just putting on workout shoes as concrete starting points.

Action → momentum → habit

Jamie describes a chain where taking the first step shifts your energy and mood, that feeling builds motivation, and motivation is what makes the habit stick.

Ashley's own experience of waiting for motivation

Ashley reflects that if she had kept waiting for motivation, she would still be the person who couldn't climb a flight of stairs or get through 15 minutes of Zumba.

The 'perfect moment' trap

Jamie describes the pattern of waiting for perfect energy, perfect mindset, or perfect conditions before starting — framing it as something the brain uses to keep you stuck.

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