Your Brain is Deleting Your Goals

0:08 SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Warriors Haven Podcast, the place where discipline meets purpose and everyday people become unstoppable.

0:16 SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Jaisha Sutherland, a retired Army drill sergeant, single mom, and the founder of the Warriors Haven.

0:24 SPEAKER_00: Around here, we talk fitness, mindset, and the mission of building a stronger you, mentally, physically, and financially.

0:33 SPEAKER_00: Because this isn't just about the gym.

0:36 SPEAKER_00: It's about life, leadership, and living on your terms.

0:40 SPEAKER_00: So gear up, lock in, and let's step into the haven where warriors are made.

1:07 SPEAKER_00: I am so excited to dive in to this next episode, which is a series that I wanted to launch alongside you guys with mindset, with memory, fitness, nutrition, and even tap in a little bit with finances later on in the series.

1:25 SPEAKER_00: Last episode, we talked about energy, how your body and brain need fuel before discipline even has a chance.

1:34 SPEAKER_00: Today, we're going one layer deeper.

1:37 SPEAKER_00: I hope you guys are all excited.

1:40 SPEAKER_00: So, today let's dive in and talk about memory.

1:44 SPEAKER_00: Not memory like remembering names or dates, but memory as the system that decides what feels hard, what feels automatic, and what sticks versus what disappears.

1:59 SPEAKER_00: If you've ever said, I start strong but fall off, I know what to do, I just don't do it.

2:07 SPEAKER_00: Why is this so hard for me but easy for others?

2:12 SPEAKER_00: This episode is going to explain exactly why, and more importantly, is going to take the blame off of you.

2:21 SPEAKER_00: So let's keep this simple.

2:24 SPEAKER_00: Our brain has two main goals.

2:28 SPEAKER_00: The first one, keep you alive, the second to save energy.

2:34 SPEAKER_00: That's it, friends.

2:36 SPEAKER_00: That's it.

2:38 SPEAKER_00: Your brain does not care about your goals, your plans, your new year's resolutions, your vision board.

2:48 SPEAKER_00: Your brain cares about safety and efficiency.

2:52 SPEAKER_00: And this is where memory comes in.

2:55 SPEAKER_00: Your brain uses memory to decide what it should keep, what it should automate, and what it should resist.

3:05 SPEAKER_00: There are two main memory systems involved in this change, and they're the two that I really wanted to talk to you all today.

3:13 SPEAKER_00: The first one is called working memory.

3:17 SPEAKER_00: The second is called long-term memory.

3:21 SPEAKER_00: Most people try to change their life while living almost entirely in working memory, and that's why it feels exhausting.

3:32 SPEAKER_00: So, friends, let's talk about working memory first.

3:38 SPEAKER_00: Working memory is where your brain holds things it is still learning.

3:44 SPEAKER_00: Think of it like this.

3:47 SPEAKER_00: Working memory is like holding groceries in your arms.

3:52 SPEAKER_00: You can carry a few bags for a short time if you're not tired, and nothing unexpected happens.

4:02 SPEAKER_00: Working memory handles new habits, new routines, new information, decisions, self-control.

4:12 SPEAKER_00: Here's the problem: working memory is small.

4:17 SPEAKER_00: Working memory gets tired fast.

4:20 SPEAKER_00: Working memory uses a lot of energy.

4:25 SPEAKER_00: So when you try to start a new diet, begin a workout routine, change your spending, build a business, create structure in your life, all of that lives in working memory at first.

4:42 SPEAKER_00: That's why it feels hard.

4:46 SPEAKER_00: Now, here's the part most people don't understand.

4:50 SPEAKER_00: Working memory shrinks when you're tired, you're stressed, you're dehydrated, you're overwhelmed, you're emotionally drained.

5:02 SPEAKER_00: Remember last episode where I said low energy equals low capacity?

5:10 SPEAKER_00: Go back and listen to last episode.

5:14 SPEAKER_00: So when life gets busy and stressful, your brain says, We don't have room for all of this.

5:23 SPEAKER_00: What gets dropped first?

5:25 SPEAKER_00: New habits, new routines, extra effort.

5:30 SPEAKER_00: Not because they're bad, but because they're not stored yet.

5:35 SPEAKER_00: This is why people say I was doing so good and then life happened.

5:42 SPEAKER_00: Or I just fell off.

5:46 SPEAKER_00: Or I don't know why I stopped.

5:50 SPEAKER_00: Your brain didn't fail.

5:52 SPEAKER_00: It protected you.

5:55 SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk about long-term memory.

5:59 SPEAKER_00: This is the goal.

6:01 SPEAKER_00: Long-term memory is where behaviors become automatic, easy, low energy, emotionally neutral.

6:12 SPEAKER_00: Examples we really like to use are brushing your teeth, driving, walking, locking your door, making coffee.

6:23 SPEAKER_00: You don't motivate yourself to do these things.

6:26 SPEAKER_00: You don't debate them.

6:28 SPEAKER_00: You don't get tired thinking about them.

6:32 SPEAKER_00: That's because they live in your long-term memory.

6:37 SPEAKER_00: Once something moves into long-term memory, it stops costing energy.

6:43 SPEAKER_00: It stops feeling like effort.

6:46 SPEAKER_00: It stops feeling emotional.

6:49 SPEAKER_00: This is why disciplined people don't feel disciplined.

6:54 SPEAKER_00: They're not stronger than you, they're just stored differently.

7:01 SPEAKER_00: Here's the trap most people fall into.

7:04 SPEAKER_00: They keep adding and adding and adding new things without letting anything store.

7:11 SPEAKER_00: A new plan, a new diet, a new routine, a new budget, a new mindset.

7:17 SPEAKER_00: Everything stays in that working memory.

7:21 SPEAKER_00: So the brain is constantly saying, this is too much.

7:27 SPEAKER_00: And when the brain feels overloaded, it responds with avoidance, procrastination, shutdown, overwhelm.

7:37 SPEAKER_00: This is why motivation never lasts.

7:41 SPEAKER_00: Motivation is trying to power working memory.

7:47 SPEAKER_00: But working memory was never meant to run your life.

7:54 SPEAKER_00: So here's the reframe I want you to take with you today.

7:59 SPEAKER_00: Hard doesn't mean wrong.

8:02 SPEAKER_00: Hard means new.

8:05 SPEAKER_00: Every habit feels hard before it is actually stored.

8:12 SPEAKER_00: So in the next episode, we're going to apply this to fitness.

8:18 SPEAKER_00: Why workouts feel exhausting at first, why consistency magically appears later, why beginners struggle and veterans don't, because fitness success isn't about discipline.

8:35 SPEAKER_00: It's about moving the habit from working memory to long-term memory.

8:42 SPEAKER_00: And once that happens, your body stops fighting you.

8:47 SPEAKER_00: So, friends, I hope you found this episode to be a little intriguing, a little fascinating to help you dive into what working memory is and what long-term memory is, applying it to your real life situation and scenario that you're living right now.

9:06 SPEAKER_00: So many of us wake up and we have our routines from the minute our foot touches the ground and we get out of bed.

9:14 SPEAKER_00: And that is long-term memory, things we've been doing for years and we don't think about.

9:19 SPEAKER_00: And then we have our working memory, which are all the new things that we are trying to implement into our lives, but without consistency, without understanding proper structure and frameworks, we can never move those new habits, learning tools, frameworks from working memory to long-term memory.

9:41 SPEAKER_00: And I hope that this series in the next few weeks we can really break it down and you can really understand the fundamentals of what is being taught in this through this podcast on the Warriors Haven.

9:55 SPEAKER_00: And I really hope that we are able to unfold and unravel something new in all of yours' lives.

10:03 SPEAKER_00: So I am so grateful, I am so thankful to have yet another episode on the Warriors Haven with every single one of you.

10:12 SPEAKER_00: And next week, we're gonna go ahead and merge this with fitness, which is what we love.

10:19 SPEAKER_00: So until next time, stay strong, stay focused, stay ready.

10:38 SPEAKER_00: Thanks for tuning in to the Warriors Haven podcast, where we turn discipline into freedom and help you build the body, mindset, and lifestyle you deserve.

10:47 SPEAKER_00: If today's episode fired you up or gave you just that little push you needed, don't stop here.

10:52 SPEAKER_00: Head on over to the WarriorsHaven.com where you'll find details on how to jumpstart the next version of you.

10:58 SPEAKER_00: Remember, it's not about being perfect, it's about showing up for yourself every single day.

11:04 SPEAKER_00: So until next time, stay strong, stay focused, and stay ready.

11:09 SPEAKER_00: I'm Jaisha Sutherland, and you're listening to the Warriors Haven podcast.