🧠 Motivation vs. discipline
December 24, 2020
Welcome back friends :) Today I wanted to talk about something I've been mulling over and reading about quite a lot recently: motivation versus discipline.
Too often, I've caught myself getting super hyped about a new morning routine or a new workout video or new meal plan only to wake up the next day totally lacking the motivation to follow through with something I was so excited about the previous night. Sound familiar? Or how many times have we promised ourselves that tomorrow will be the day we start waking up early - only to feel too warm and cozy in our beds to actually get out of bed?
After reading Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins, Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink and Atomic Habits by James Clear - three main ideas became clear to me:
You can't count on motivation, you need discipline (it has to come from within)
Start small with what you have, do anything to make you a bit better than you were yesterday (i.e. no excuses!)
Oftentimes we'll have to take the road less travelled which can be lonely, but mastering your mind will set you free
Now I'm not saying I'm some superhuman that is extremely disciplined, I still have my moments where I choose to stay in bed instead of working out or break my intermittent fast earlier than usual if I'm ravenous. But what I am saying is that I'm more aware to actively make these choices and catch myself, and be more accepting of myself and my decisions.
Instead of restricting myself or holding myself to a strict schedule, I know that a 10 minute workout is still better than nothing (and will most likely lead to a 15, 20 or 20 minute workout once I start). In Grit by Angela Duckworth, she says that "80% of success in life is just showing up" and that's the mindset I've adopted - just be consistent with the actions, no matter how small/insignificant they may seem.
I truly believe that consistency leads to habits, and when we start seeing results from these habits, that is what motivates us to continue. Before crossing that critical threshold where the habit becomes part of our routine is where discipline is required. As I've mentioned above and in my previous blog posts, having a strong why power is key. If I was just waking up at 5 "just because", would that inspire me to get out of bed? Of course not. But, if I knew I was making time to meditate, oil pull, workout, mindfully prepare my food, I would be much more inclined. Like with most things in life, having that intrinsic drive is so essential to be genuinely interested and follow through because extrinsic results can only satisfy us so much.
Then once that habit forms and your desired activity becomes automatic and second nature? Well you're golden. Routines and doing the same things day in and day out may sound boring but trust me, your cognitive load becomes so much lighter and you can actually focus on what matters in life. You have the freedom to think about the bigger things and do what's important to you.
You know you deserve to live your best life possible, so get out of your own way and let it happen.
Sending you lots of light, love and strength!
-Reina xo
#motivationvsdiscipline #disciplineequalsfreedom #atomichabits #consistencyiskey #startsmall