Discipline is more IMPORTANT than Motivation!

For some reason, motivation always gets more attention. Everyone wants to be motivated, while few take the time to consider discipline.

That’s a mistake.

Discipline > Motivation

One of the biggest myths of all is that successful people are constantly motivated. The online world that we live in certainly perpetuates this false assumption. Social media only captures what a person wants you to see. As a result, certain people have created the illusion that they operate in a fairy tale land that’s devoid of bad days and bad moods.

The reality though is that no one lives in a constant state of motivation. We all experience ups and downs, and moments when we don’t feel like doing what needs to be done. Successful people don’t just work when they feel like working however. Instead, they are disciplined enough to get the job done regardless of their mood.

If you always wait to feel a certain way before you act, don’t expect to ever accomplish anything worthwhile. Too much time will be spent procrastinating as you sit around waiting for the perfect mood to arrive. Meanwhile, your successful competitors will be busy putting in the work whether they want to or not.

Embrace the Grind and Do it Anyway

One of the keys to becoming more successful is recognizing the simple fact that life is tough. There is no such thing as a perfect time to work or start a new task. Focus on the process, there's a certain groove on anything, a niche where you can feel comfortable doing it after so many correct repetition (doing the correct way), focus on improving, embrace and enjoy the process.  Therefore, rather than constantly seeking out motivation to begin or continue, your time would be better spent cultivating habits that will eventually lead towards enhanced productivity. Remember that repetition is the mother of all learning and the father of action.

Speaking for myself, I have never relied on motivation to succeed that much. I certainly welcome those times when I’m fired up and ready to go, but I’ll never limit my output to such moments. I’d rather take pride in my work and realizing the positive outcome that will come in the future, than wait to feel a certain motivated feeling before I work. Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Motivation isn’t what puts one foot in front of the other. It’s discipline and work ethic that keeps me going. In other words, just because I don’t feel like doing something doesn’t stop me from doing it anyway. Remember that one said success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out, and I find that to be true, because sometimes we think too much before actually do something, and always end up not doing it. This "perfection" mindset is usually have a negative impact to our journey in improving and achieving progress, thus we need to alter this kind of mindset to "Just-do-it" kind of attitude, that will keep the wheel of improvement keeps on spinning. We do not want to lose the momentum, just like when we try to push a car, it is easier to keep the car moving while it is still moving compared to the effort of moving the car from a dead stop, which we all know require a lot more energy.

Final Thoughts

As great as it feels to be motivated, it is important to understand that motivation alone will only take you so far. Whether extrinsic or intrinsic, motivation can come and go in a flash. Discipline however is rooted in consistency. It quietly, yet continuously, chugs along in the background. It becomes part of who you are and what you do.

As an old saying suggests, first you make your habits and then your habits make you. A disciplined person gets up and grinds day after day. They don’t wait for the perfect mood to arrive before beginning. Instead, they cherish the feeling of accomplishment that comes after the fact. That’s where the real joy lies.

In summary, don’t give motivation more credit than it deserves. You don’t need to be motivated to succeed. What you need is the self-discipline to put in the work whether you want to or not. Successful people don’t waste time looking for motivation. They are too busy putting in the work that will eventually allow them to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment” – Jim Rohn

Added By : Benaya Sutanto, MSc