Motivation versus discipline: Motivation is the desire to do something, while discipline is the act of doing that something even if you don’t feel like it. The problem for most people is that when they’re not feeling motivated, they’re not disciplined either, so they are not productive.
I don’t struggle with this, and I keep pushing forward and getting things done, even when I am not motivated. I have built long-term discipline since a young age.
Discipline is a superpower because you will succeed if you can do what you NEED to do instead of what you WANT. Discipline will get you there whether you want an amazing body, relationship, or money. You can develop it, which is beautiful because action inspires motivation. Mark Manson’s “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck” discusses this concept in detail, and I’ve read that book countless times and highly recommend it.
The more you do hard things, the more you’ll be disciplined. But you have to start challenging yourself more. The brain’s cortex builds and gets bigger when you do hard things. It’s called the anterior midcingulate cortex, and research has been done about this brain area. Through struggles, you will become stronger and have more discipline. The bigger it gets, the more hungry and apt you’ll do things. Challenging yourself builds strength, character, discipline, and focus.
To reiterate, motivation and discipline are different. These two are often confused because motivation is the desire to do something, no matter how badly you want it, while discipline is the ability to take action. Action is a key part of the equation, so if you’re not feeling like it but know you have a long-term goal, you’ll do it because it’ll help you reach it. Successful people do not have crazy genetics in common. They have motivation, desire, and the ability to be disciplined. Choose to take action, and you will be successful.
Who you surround yourself with is critical to your success. If you’re around a bunch of losers, chances are, you will also be. Discipline is similar because undisciplined people procrastinate and aren’t motivated to do the work. Undisciplined people are less likely to stay on their journey because they’re influenced when witnessing others undisciplined. It’s difficult to shake and overcome when you align yourself with undisciplined people. It’s a lot easier, uplifting, and motivating to be aligned in terms of your discipline.
My office has helped me be more disciplined because I know it means business, and it’s motivating. I can’t work in clutter and chaos; I can’t focus. You need to love your environment, whether in a city, around people, in an office, or otherwise. There’s no way to be as disciplined in an uninviting environment. The environment dramatically impacts your ability to be disciplined and focused.
Limiting cell phone accessibility is a big one. We’re picking up our cell phones all day and have become conditioned to grab and look at them. It doesn’t matter what you’re checking; if you need to get things done, put your phone away. If you put it far away, you’re not as tempted because the cell phone is literally the discipline devil. The more you can eliminate your cell phone from your environment when focusing and working, the better. Putting it away has helped my mindset, focus, and clarity.
Realize the price of procrastination. When you wait to do something, there’s a price to pay, and sometimes the price can be huge. If you don’t just sit down and get it done, you end up taking away a lot of fun from other things because you’re thinking about what you should have been doing. Go ahead and do what you need to now to enjoy yourself later.
In this hustle culture, people constantly grind it out and feel guilty if they’re not being completely productive. But if you don’t take time for yourself, you won’t be as productive or mentally sharp. Schedule downtime. You need to allow your brain to rest, so you need some relaxation and fun as part of your equation.
Having a North Star and knowing what you’re working for is good, but enjoy and embrace the process. Focus on the process instead of the end result. Work will always be work, but there’s a difference between working for something you enjoy and being disciplined about it versus doing something you hate. Life is too short to do something you hate.
I don’t travel the world, and I’m a homebody. I like to work but also enjoy having a very rigid schedule. I like structure, which will benefit you too. For the last 15 years, I’ve done the same thing Monday through Friday, which includes eating the same food, going to the gym at the same times, and working out the same way. I might be boring, but boring is a choice and a mindset that I have to be more disciplined. It’s also more enjoyable because I’ve embraced this mindset, which has become a part of me. I’m not frantic and all over the place.
Realize that discipline will get you where you can grasp motivation. People generally operate under a kind of convoluted model of motivation where they wait for inspiration to strike as if that inspired feeling is the only fuel to use. They’re completely incorrect. A sense of meaningfulness is most often developed when getting started. You workout for a couple of days, and by the third day, you start feeling motivated and inspired to hit the gym. Increasingly, as you workout, you suddenly realize you’re engrossed in what you’re doing.
If you put off something with the excuse that you’re not motivated, you will build apprehension toward doing it instead of acting on that itch to get started and keep going. And you need to keep going because once you stop, the motivation to keep going will wane. We are creatures of habit, so you have to keep fueling the motivation fire while staying disciplined to do what you need to do.
