Motivation vs. Discipline: Striking the Balance for Success

This took me a while to write up, so would recommend reading all of it as I believe there is some genuine value to be taken from it.

When it comes to achieving our goals and pursuing personal growth, two key factors often come into play: motivation and discipline. While they are interconnected, motivation and discipline represent distinct elements that contribute to our success. In this article, I will be talking about the differences and similarities between motivation and discipline.

What is motivation? Motivation is the internal drive that fuels our desire to take action. It is the spark that ignites our enthusiasm, propelling us forward towards our goals. Motivation can arise from various sources, such as intrinsic passion, external rewards, or the pursuit of personal fulfilment. We will delve into the importance of understanding our motivational triggers and how they can vary from person to person.

What is discipline? While motivation provides the initial move, discipline is the unwavering commitment and consistency required to stay on track. Discipline is the ability to adhere to routines, make deliberate choices, and prioritise long-term goals over short-term gratification. I will discuss how discipline involves setting boundaries, establishing healthy habits, and making conscious decisions to align our actions with our aspirations.

How does discipline become crucial when faced with obstacles, distractions, or moments of low motivation?

When we are set forward with that initial burst of motivation we feel unstoppable like nothing can hold us back. However, that burst of motivation is only going to be short-lived and will soon come to an end, which is where discipline comes into play. Discipline will help you stay focused on what you want to achieve and it will act as a constant reminder of why you started in the first place. I encourage you to seek and go through life with a disciplined mindset as opposed to a motivated one. The reason for this is that you are not going to feel motivated every single day of your life- if you only completed tasks when you felt motivated, you will, unfortunately, see very little to no progress.  So, when you wake up every day do not ask yourself if you feel happy and motivated. Regardless of how you feel you should still complete what you need to do for the day because you are DISCIPLINED. I like this saying- “The person who goes to the gym every day regardless of how they feel will always beat the person that only goes to the gym when they feel like it. ” This saying also applies to every other area of life too. 

How to Avoid Burnout?

You have to find a balance between motivation and discipline as it’s key to sustainable progress. Reliance on motivation alone can lead to inconsistency, while excessive discipline without intrinsic motivation can lead to burnout. What you must do is focus on being more effective as opposed to productive. The reason for this is that being productive doesn't necessarily mean you are getting meaningful tasks done instead it can just be you deluding yourself that you are. This will lead to you becoming drained and near to burnout with no promising results from your work. Start finding time to find new hobbies you can do when you are not working as this will help you take your mind off work and will create that friendly balance in your life which will help your progress become more sustainable long term. 

Developing a Disciplined Mindset:

Developing a motivated and disciplined mindset requires practice and refinement. Below I will be outlining some techniques that will help you develop a disciplined mindset.

Visualisation can help you tremendously when looking to achieve a specific goal. It is the act of you visualising achieving that specific goal you are working towards or becoming the person you always wanted to be. This works because if you can see it you are already halfway there.  Every day remind yourself of that visualisation as it will remind you why you started. 

Positive self-talk. Every day look in the mirror and tell yourself that today is going to be a great day and that you are doing everything you can right now to become your best possible self. Also, praise and reward yourself through small wins as this will help keep momentum to achieving even bigger and better wins. Lastly when you run into an obstacle do not let your emotions run wild as they will most of the time get the best of you resulting in developing negative feelings about yourself. Instead, train yourself to be iron minded and force yourself to react with a logical and solution-based mindset going forward. This way instead of wasting time dwelling on the problem you can understand and learn where you went wrong so you can do your best to avoid it next time. 

Accountability Systems.  An accountability system is a system which will keep you accountable for carrying out a specific task, and if you do not complete the task you may be faced with a consequence. An example you can use is telling your friends and family that you will complete a specific task and if you don’t you will be faced with the consequence of being perceived as someone who does not keep their word causing them to lose trust in you.  

Daily schedule with a time management scheme embedded in it. So, if you want to start going to the gym you could adopt a routine that consists of; as soon as you finish work you head straight to the gym. This way you will create a sense of momentum in your life and it will stop you from going home after work and then finding an excuse to not go to the gym.  The longer you do this your body and mind will adapt to the routine and see it as the norm for you, so therefore it will feel odd if you do not follow through with it one day. 

A message to young men: 

How can you not be disciplined as a young man? You must realise that life as a man is a very competitive game. Every girl you want, another guy wants.  Every car you want, another guy wants. Every house you want, another guy wants. If you want the best of what life has to offer then there are certain things you must sacrifice and things you must find and perform every single day to the best of your ability. The world is set up to distract you from yourself and your goals. Things like video games, social media, mainstream media channels and your career all play a part. So, it is your duty to pull yourself away from these distractions and start focusing on yourself and your goals in life. Although the world is set up in ways where it can lead you to failure, it is also set up in a way that can transform your life for the better. People take advantage of everything available to them in this current day and age and underestimate the power of the things around them. An example is the internet. The internet is a great place where you can find things that will only add value to your life such as learning an online skill, watching an informative podcast, assisting you with your studies and much more. However, people seem to take advantage of the internet and instead use it for the wrong reasons. Some examples are: spending endless hours on social media, arguing back and forth with toxic people and more.  

Ultimately there are no excuses in this day and age. Unhappy with how your body looks? There is most likely a gym within 30 minutes of where you live. Unhappy that you are struggling financially? Go into various stores down the high street and ask for a job, then use that money from your job to invest in yourself or assets. Or learn an online skill and become valuable to society, ultimately leading to financial gain. This relates back to what I was saying about having a logical and solution-based mindset as opposed to an emotional one. Do not waste time dwelling on the problem, instead actively use your time effectively and find out how you can solve the problem. Overall, if you can see that your family are struggling financially, physically, emotionally or spiritually. The last thing you should be doing is asking yourself if you feel motivated. At the end of the day, the goals you set for yourself in life are not just for you- they are also for your loved ones. So, if you do not wake up every day and ask yourself how you can become the best version of yourself then that means you are fine with seeing your loved ones struggle in life.

As a man, it is your job to be the protector and provider. I like this saying: “Women, children and dogs are loved unconditionally, but men are only loved under the condition that they provide something”. In terms of this quote, you must understand that you need to become as physically strong as possible in order to protect your loved ones if a problem was to ever arise which may harm them physically, you need to become as rich as possible so you can provide basic necessities as well as lavish goods you need to become as attractive as possible as this will reflect a sense of self-respect within you and lastly you need to become as smart and wise as possible so you will be able to be a source of help and information for anyone who may need your support. By doing all these things and becoming the best version of yourself you will become someone who is respected by others as well as seen as a role model.

To conclude this article Motivation and discipline are two vital ingredients for success. While motivation provides the initial spark, discipline fuels the consistent effort required to achieve our goals. By understanding the dynamics between motivation and discipline, harnessing our intrinsic motivations, cultivating discipline, and finding the right balance, we can unlock our full potential and embark on a journey of growth and achievement.