72: Dr. Kasey Jo Orvidas: Why Motivation Isn’t Enough, and What Actually Works
Why Motivation Isn't Enough, and What Actually Works (with Dr. Kasey Jo Orvidas)
Stuck in the all-or-nothing fitness cycle? Learn why motivation fails and discover the mindset shifts that actually create lasting change with mindset expert Dr. Kasey Jo Orvidas.
Let's be honest: how many times have you started strong with a new fitness goal, riding high on motivation, only to completely fall off track a few weeks later? You tell yourself "this time will be different," but somehow you end up right back where you started, feeling frustrated and stuck in that exhausting all-or-nothing cycle.
Here's the truth bomb you need to hear: motivation isn't enough. It never was.
In this week's episode of the Broads podcast, Tara sits down with Dr. Kasey Jo Orvidas, a mindset expert with a PhD in Psychology who specializes in helping people create lasting, meaningful change. They dive deep into why motivation fails, what actually keeps you consistent, and the mindset shifts that make sustainable progress possible.
If you've ever felt like you're spinning your wheels or that your progress always stalls after a strong start, this conversation is going to change the game for you.
The All-or-Nothing Trap: Why It's Sabotaging Your Progress
You know the pattern: you're either 100% on track, eating perfectly, never missing workouts, following your plan to the letter, or you're completely off the rails, saying "screw it" and abandoning everything.
Sound familiar?
This all-or-nothing mindset is one of the biggest things holding people back from making real progress. It's exhausting, unsustainable, and sets you up for a perpetual cycle of starting over.
Dr. Kasey breaks down why this happens and, more importantly, how to break free from it. The key? Understanding that progress doesn't require perfection. Consistency beats perfection every single time, and creating sustainable habits means accepting that some days will be better than others, and that's okay.
When you can let go of the all-or-nothing mentality and embrace "good enough" most of the time, everything changes. You stop feeling like you're constantly failing, and you start actually making progress that lasts.
Why Motivation Alone Won't Keep You Consistent
Motivation feels amazing when you have it. You're fired up, ready to crush your goals, and nothing can stop you. But here's the problem: motivation is fleeting. It comes and goes like the weather, and you can't build a sustainable fitness practice on something that unpredictable.
So what actually works?
Systems and habits.
Dr. Kasey explains that relying on motivation is setting yourself up to fail because motivation will inevitably fade. What keeps you consistent isn't that fired-up feeling, it's the systems and habits you build that carry you through when motivation is nowhere to be found.
Think about brushing your teeth. You don't wait until you feel motivated to do it. You just do it because it's part of your routine. That's the kind of automaticity you need to build around your health and fitness habits.
The goal is to create an environment and routine where doing the thing (working out, meal prepping, going to bed on time) is the path of least resistance, not something you need to constantly psych yourself up for.
Finding Your Real "Why" (Not the Surface-Level Stuff)
Everyone talks about finding your "why," but most people stop at surface-level answers.
"I want to lose weight." "I want to look better." "I want to fit into those jeans."
Those might be goals, but they're not your deeper why, the thing that's going to keep you going when things get hard.
Dr. Kasey walks through how to uncover your real why by digging deeper. Ask yourself: why do you want to lose weight? And then ask why again. And again. Keep going until you get to the emotional core of what you're really after.
Often, it's not about the weight at all. It's about:
Feeling confident and comfortable in your own skin
Having the energy to play with your kids
Proving to yourself that you can commit to something
Taking control of your health so you can live the life you want
When you connect to that deeper why, the one that's rooted in your values and what truly matters to you, that's when you find the fuel to keep going even when motivation is low.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation: Why You Need Both
Here's something interesting: there's a balance between intrinsic motivation (doing something because it feels meaningful and fulfilling to you) and extrinsic motivation (doing something for external rewards or validation).
A lot of people in the fitness world will tell you that intrinsic motivation is superior and that caring about external validation is shallow. But Dr. Kasey challenges that narrative.
You need both.
Yes, intrinsic motivation, working out because it makes you feel strong, because you value your health, because you love the process, is powerful and sustainable. But extrinsic motivation can be a valuable tool too. Maybe you want to look good in a dress for an event, or you're motivated by the compliments you get when you're consistent with your training. That's okay.
The key is not relying solely on extrinsic motivation, but using it as a complement to your intrinsic drivers. When you can tap into both, you have more tools in your toolkit to keep yourself moving forward.
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset: The Difference That Changes Everything
One of the most powerful concepts Dr. Kasey discusses is the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.
Fixed mindset: "I'm just not good at this." "I don't have the discipline." "Some people are naturally fit, and I'm not one of them."
Growth mindset: "I'm not good at this yet, but I can learn." "I struggled today, but I'll figure out what I need to adjust." "My abilities aren't fixed, I can develop them over time."
The mindset you bring to your fitness journey dramatically impacts your results. When you have a fixed mindset, setbacks feel like proof that you're not capable. When you have a growth mindset, setbacks are just information, feedback that helps you adjust and improve.
The good news? Mindset isn't fixed (see what I did there?). You can shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset with awareness and practice.
Start noticing your self-talk. When you catch yourself saying "I can't" or "I'm not," add the word "yet" to the end of the sentence. That one small word opens up possibility instead of closing the door.
The Thought Ladder: How to Shift Your Mindset Gradually
One of the most practical tools Dr. Kasey shares is the concept of the thought ladder, a technique for gradually shifting your mindset when you're stuck in negative thinking patterns.
Here's how it works: you can't jump from "I hate my body and I'll never change" to "I love my body and I'm so confident" overnight. That gap is too big, and your brain won't believe it.
Instead, you build a ladder of thoughts that gradually bridge the gap:
Bottom: "I hate my body and I'll never change."
Next rung: "I'm struggling with how I feel about my body right now."
Next rung: "My body has been through a lot, and it's still working for me."
Next rung: "I'm learning to appreciate what my body can do."
Next rung: "I'm working on building a better relationship with my body."
Top: "I respect and appreciate my body."
You don't need to believe the top thought right now. You just need to find the next thought on the ladder that feels believable to you and practice thinking it. Over time, you climb the ladder, one rung at a time.
This approach makes mindset shifts feel achievable instead of overwhelming.
Recognizing and Overcoming Self-Sabotage
Self-sabotage is sneaky. It doesn't always look like blatantly giving up. Sometimes it looks like:
Skipping workouts for "valid" reasons over and over
Saying you'll start Monday (but Monday never comes)
Creating unrealistic expectations so you have an excuse to quit
Not asking for help because you "should" be able to do it alone
Dr. Kasey helps you recognize these patterns so you can interrupt them. Self-sabotage usually stems from fear, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of not being good enough, fear of change.
Once you identify what's really driving the behavior, you can address it directly instead of just trying to white-knuckle your way through with more motivation (which, remember, doesn't work).
The Bottom Line: Mindset Is the Missing Piece
You can have the perfect workout plan, the best nutrition strategy, and all the time in the world, but if your mindset isn't supporting your goals, you'll keep hitting the same walls.
The good news? Mindset is a skill you can develop. It's not about being positive all the time or never having negative thoughts. It's about building awareness, challenging unhelpful patterns, and creating thought processes that actually support what you're trying to achieve.
When you shift your mindset from all-or-nothing to progress over perfection, from fixed to growth-oriented, and from motivation-dependent to systems-driven, that's when sustainable change becomes possible.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
This conversation with Dr. Kasey Jo Orvidas is packed with insights we couldn't fit into one blog post. Listen to the full episode here to get all the details on building a mindset that supports lasting change.
Want to learn more from Dr. Kasey? Check out her website at kaseyorvidas.com or follow her on Instagram @CoachKaseyJo.
Ready to combine mindset work with a solid training plan? Try Broads for 7 days free and experience what's possible when you have both the physical and mental tools for success.
Find Tara on Instagram: @taralaferrara | @broads.podcast | @broads.app
