Motivation and Discipline – when one fails, the other prevails

Cover photo:Tthao Le Hoang on Unsplash

Today’s Focus of Attention is reader-supported. We sometimes include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Jim Ryun.

Not long ago, I watched a video on Instagram of a teenager playing the solo of a famous metal song, – not good whatsoever. It became obvious he was out of sync, with wrong string bends, amongst other mistakes. 

However, most viewers were encouraging him to push harder: “Don’t give up,” “Practice more, you’ll get it,” “You rock.” As a result, one viewer offered to show him how to play it right, plus suggesting some techniques to improve his skills. 

You really need balls of steel to be on social media playing a song in the worst imaginable way without being afraid of criticism; that is courage. But this teenager found the motivation to persevere and improve, if he continues practicing.

Motivation is of paramount importance, but temporary – simply a spark, a feeble flame. It fades after time.

Provided that we cannot always stay motivated, we’ve got to develop our self-discipline as it is permanent and keeps the blaze burning. 

“Discipline is the bridge between goal and accomplishment.” Jim Rohn.

---

Self discipline – control yourself

Broadly speaking, self discipline comes down to two key factors: time and pleasure. 

Your brain runs a simulation of all your activities, while comparing them and assessing how pleasurable each one is, not to mention how quickly you can get satisfaction from them. 

Think about a couple of things you want to do. 

Could you increase how rewarding they are and decrease the time it takes to be rewarded? Likewise, consider those you don’t wish to do or are less gratifying. 

Let’s pretend you must write a long-winded business report, but you have been procrastinating for quite a while as you often get sidetracked by the ubiquitous social media which, undeniably, is enjoyable, aside from being easy to reach. Not only it is designed but tailored to show you a plethora of eye-catching images as fast as possible.But it can be at odds with your own interests. 

One way to escape from the clutches of social media is to delay the time to use it. 

Have the upper hand by deleting apps from your phone, so whenever you choose to connect, you’ve got to download it again and log in. In a like manner, you can install apps controlling and blocking certain websites.

Notice if gaming or watching TV are taking too much of your productive life. If so, disconnect and move them into storage rooms. Only take them out on special occasions. 

---

Discipline is something you do, and choose to do

In one fell swoop, you decide to make the most of your time doing something that is really beneficial to you – let’s say reading. 

Reading is part and parcel of learning, and the best method to crave for it is by making books more accessible. Even if you don’t want to read, the simple action of having books at hand, or the app open, is enough to create the habit. Conscious discipline – a mindset change.

In the event of having troubles finishing books, well, start with those easier to understand.  

---

Educate yourself

Generally speaking, the gratification associated with any activity depends on the individual. Some things in life are so rewarding that you will go through any desert to obtain them, irrespective of the obstacles. 

Hiding your TV or blocking apps won’t suffice if they are carrying significant weight. 

How do you change how pleasurable you consider an activity? How can you find eating healthy more enjoyable than eating junk food? Can you make yourself relish working or studying more than going to parties?  

As always, education is the answer – knowledge. 

Put your mind to an activity you fancy and then learn all the downsides linked to that. Perhaps such action, giving you instant gratification, is hindering you from reaching a major goal that could be more favourable to you in the near future. 

---

Visualise yourself

Picture something you really want to happen anytime soon – your wish. That wish must be specific – the SMART technique can help you recognise your objective. 

What would life be if you obtained this wish? That is to say, imagine the outcomes, every single detail, every sensation. 

Now ponder, what in your life is a barrier standing on the path of that future? Given that, envisage all the obstacles as if you were in front of them. By the way, there’s a possibility you are one hurdle.  

Following, devise a strategy analogous to the ones companies employ when they run into difficult situations; use an “if-then” statement to plan how you will overcome each difficulty if it emerges. Something along the lines of “If obstacle X arises, I perform action Y.” To illustrate, if you feel like playing a video game, pull a book from the shelf.  

Try to itemise your goals in the tiniest possible baby steps, afterwards restart the process. Don’t do it just once. Do it multiple times a day. 

This technique for certain will increase your chances of becoming more disciplined.

The winning combination is a partnership between Motivation and Discipline. It’s not enough to want something, you have to crave for it. Just remember, Motivation produces emotion, but Discipline produces results.

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal- a commitment to excellent – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” Mario Andretti.