day 13: motivation vs. discipline

hi there! how's it going? i hope all is well and hope you enjoy today's topic.

discipline. that's always the goal isn't it? 

motivation. that's what you need to start your journey to achieve those aspirations/goals.

but what's the difference? where does the line between discipline and motivation blur?

this is what i think: you need motivation to begin the initial ride, but when your motivation begins to die down, your discipline will replace it and carry you through to the end.

to start anything, you need the motivation. motivation is your strong desire to do something, which could be to achieve the goal. the goal could be anything from, having abs to having straight A's. the goal motivates you to start, although many could argue that starting is the actual hard part. 

once you officially start your journey towards this goal, you will have a motivation high. for the first few days, you will be consistent and really stick to doing that 15 minute ab workout. after the novelty wears off, you will begin to slow down, or leave that ab work-out to the very end of the day.

motivation doesn't have to be the only reason that you do something, so this is where your discipline comes into play. discipline can be built through many different experiences, but what i can vouch for is how i became disciplined. if you read day 7, you already know that my discipline has been built through years of taekwondo. specifically, going to class every day and learning that i have to go through the extremes to cut weight if i'm not disciplined to begin with. people can build up discipline in any aspect of their life and learn to carry it through the rest of their lives.

going back to the example, because you are disciplined, you continue to do that ab workout and some days you get it done with in the morning, so that you don't have to do it later. the discipline that you've built carries you through and helps you achieve your goals. throughout the process, there will be phases where you are extremely motivated and some where you could care less.

once you've reached a certain amount of days or start to see the goal ahead, you'll gain that motivation again and it will keep you pumping through the end. 

i hope this is a reminder to you that you can do anything you set your mind to. you don't need motivation to reach your goals. your goals are attainable because you can do anything if you choose to. the discipline that you've built up over time will help you get there as long as you make this goal a priority. as i said in day 5, when you keep repeating your goals to yourself, your mind will do the rest of the work. post your goals on your wall, or put it as your phone wallpaper so that you are constantly reminded of what matters. if you've been a consistent reader, let me know! i would love to see who's been keeping up, because i know fede does. see you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.