Brian Keane on How to Live With Unshakable Discipline

What does it really take to build a life of unshakable discipline—one that doesn’t crumble when motivation fades? In this episode of Passion Struck, I sit down with Brian Keane, bestselling author of Rewire Your Mindset: Own Your Thinking, Control Your Actions, Change Your Life!, to explore the mental shifts, identity work, and habits that drive lasting transformation.

A former professional footballer turned ultra-endurance athlete and top fitness coach, Brian shares the raw truth behind his reinvention—from the pain of burnout and self-doubt to the power of aligned action and emotional resilience. Whether you’re chasing a physical goal, reshaping your mindset, or simply trying to stay consistent in a chaotic world, this conversation will give you the tools to stop self-sabotaging and start living with purpose, clarity, and grit.

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Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Listen Notes, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube below.

How Brian Keane Built Unbreakable Discipline Through Identity, Pain, and Purpose

In this gripping conversation, Brian Keane opens up about the deeply personal moments that forced him to confront who he was—and reinvent who he wanted to be. From dragging a torn Achilles across 86 kilometers of Arctic wilderness to quitting a stable teaching career to follow his passion, Brian reveals the mindset recalibrations that helped him go from burned out and misaligned to intentional and unstoppable.

Through real stories and no-BS advice, he breaks down the difference between discipline and motivation, why environment shapes identity, and how learning to juggle life’s priorities beats the myth of balance. If you’ve ever felt like you’re living a life that looks successful on the outside but feels misaligned on the inside, this episode will challenge, inspire, and reframe your path forward.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Discipline starts where motivation ends – Learn how to show up on the days you feel the least inspired, and why that’s when real change begins.
• Your environment creates your identity – Discover how your surroundings shape your behavior, and why the right support system is critical.
• You don’t need perfect balance—you need better juggling – Brian reframes balance as an ongoing realignment, not a fixed formula.
• Fear can be your fuel – Hear how Brian uses “fear anchors” from past challenges to face uncertainty with confidence.
• Vulnerability is a strength – Understand how opening up about your struggle builds resilience and strengthens your mission.
• Pain is temporary—regret lasts longer – Brian’s ultra-endurance race stories redefine your relationship to discomfort, pain, and mental toughness.

WHY IS THIS EPISODE A MUST-LISTEN?

Because it goes far beyond fitness or endurance. This is a raw, honest exploration of what it means to live with purpose, presence, and grit—even when life gets messy. Brian doesn’t just talk about mindset—he embodies it, through some of the most extreme tests a person can endure. Whether you’re facing burnout, struggling to stay consistent, or trying to rediscover your drive, this episode will equip you with the tools to break your patterns, reshape your identity, and take intentional action starting now.

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How Fear Anchoring Helped Brian Keane Conquer the Arctic, the Sahara—and Himself

One of the most powerful mental tools Brian Keane shares in this episode is something he calls fear anchoring—a mindset technique that transforms fear from a roadblock into a catalyst for growth.

Fear anchoring is about remembering a time when you were afraid, did the thing anyway, and came out stronger. It’s a psychological reference point—a visceral reminder that fear doesn’t have to be a full stop. In fact, it can be your fuel.

For Brian, fear wasn’t theoretical. In 2018, he signed up for Marathon des Sables, a grueling six-day, 250km ultra-marathon through the scorching Sahara Desert. The race is self-supported: you carry your food, run through sandstorms, and sleep under the stars in blistering heat with only intermittent water stops. As he approached the start line, Brian was overwhelmed with doubt. But he anchored that fear, remembering how he had conquered previous unknowns, and reminding himself that the discomfort would pass.

A year later, he faced a new beast: the Arctic Ultra, a 230km race through sub-zero wilderness in Northern Europe. This time, at mile 144, his Achilles tendon tore. In 38°C temperatures, he could barely blink, let alone walk. Most would have stopped. But Brian remembered the Sahara. He remembered what it meant to finish what he started. He had his GPS checked, strapped his ankle, and dragged his leg for the final 86 kilometers, knowing the pain was temporary, but the regret of quitting would last far longer.

This philosophy—feel the fear, and do it anyway—is core to Brian’s approach to mindset, which he expands on in his bestselling book Rewire Your Mindset: Own Your Thinking, Control Your Actions, Change Your Life!. Through his stories, he proves that discipline isn’t about being fearless—it’s about acting in alignment with your values, even when fear screams at you to turn back.

Whether it’s stepping into a new career, starting your first workout, or rebuilding your identity from scratch, fear anchoring gives you a way forward. You don’t eliminate fear—you reframe it. You turn past resilience into present courage. And that’s where transformation begins.

Thanks, Brian Keane

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RESOURCES FROM THE SHOW WITH BRIAN KEANE

Please note that some of the links on this page (books, movies, music, etc.) lead to affiliate programs for which The Passion Struck podcast receives compensation. It’s just one of the ways we keep the lights on around here. Thank you so much for being so supportive!

1. Brian Keane’s Website
2. Brian Keane’s Instagram
3. Brian Keane’s Youtube Channel
4. Buy Brian Keane’s Book ‘Rewire Your Mindset’
5. APA’s recognition of mattering as critical to child mental health
6. Passion Struck Core Value System: https://passionstruck.com/the-passion-struck-core-belief-system/
7. Listen to Passion Struck’s interviews with New York Times bestselling authors Gretchen Rubin and Seth Godin.
8. Check out Passion Struck’s Episode Starter Packs on Spotify or Passion Struck starter packs to get started with the podcast.

About Today’s Guest, Brian Keane

Brian Keane is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, ultra-endurance athlete, and one of Ireland’s most influential voices in health and mindset. A former professional footballer and schoolteacher, Brian reinvented himself as a globally recognized fitness coach and host of The Brian Keane Podcast, which regularly tops the iTunes health charts.

Over the past decade, Brian has helped thousands transform their bodies and lives through his no-nonsense approach to discipline, emotional resilience, and mental rewiring. He is the author of three bestselling books, including The Fitness Mindset, The Keane Edge, and Rewire Your Mindset, where he explores the inner narratives that hold people back—and how to break them.

Brian’s insights come not just from coaching, but from experience. He has completed some of the world’s most grueling ultra-endurance challenges, including six back-to-back marathons across the Sahara Desert and a 230km race through the Arctic Circle, where he finished despite tearing his Achilles mid-race. Whether it’s fitness, mindset, or purpose, Brian teaches how to turn pain into progress and fear into fuel.

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