There is a great deal of talk around motivation and discipline. The surge of energy you get when you motivate yourself with a worthy ideal is amazing.
In your mind, you envision yourself achieving so much and climbing peaks that otherwise would seem incredibly steep. But is motivation enough?
Many say that motivation can get you started. But it’s discipline that will keep you in the game, on track to reach those peaks. Even after that, what would keep you going forever? Is it one or the other? If motivation wears of, is discipline enough to keep you in the game? And most important of all – is there even a FINISH line you’re running towards? Let’s dive in and talk about it.
Is Motivation Enough?
I have been motivated multiple times. I can even say that I get motivated constantly. And motivation is a great thing! It pumps you up and gives you hope that you can achieve so much more if Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot. put your mind to it. But putting your mind to it is not always simple. And of course, it is not always enough.
Having the right mindset when you start a project is essential for you to have success along the way. There are situations in which we manage to hit a goal without believing in it fully. When we doubt whether we will make it and we still do it. Is that something you can count on? That living in fear and doubt about something, having very low or negative expectations about a project will make it work out well in the end? Not at all!
So you will need to get that power that motivates you, and before you start thinking too much about things that may not work out or obstacles that you will eventually face, you will need to take massive action. Motivation will give you the pump to want to do things, but actual action on the spot will not only make your dreams seem more achievable, but will literally put you on the right path.
Discipline Will Keep You Going
“Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot.” – Jim Rohn
When you get motivated, there’s a surge of adrenaline going through your body. Soon enough, if not put into practice, that motivation wears of. It will wear off anyway, actually, even if you put it into practice or not.
So what happens when you are no longer motivated to do something? When you’ve started and you’re working towards the result you’re seeking? It won’t take long for you to perhaps have a bad day, get distracted by something or maybe feel like you’re not getting anywhere and what you are doing is not bringing results. It’s true that at the beginning you might see little results. In some situations, for a considerable period of time.
Humanity is thought to have appeared on earth some 2.6 million years ago. About 10 thousand years ago, humans discovered agriculture. For over 99% of the time, humans were hunter gatherers. After agriculture, it took about 10 thousand years to discover industry. After that, atomic power took about 200 hundred years. Computers and the information age took around 50 years. Just imagine how long it took to get where we are today and how quickly things advance now.
This is what is called an exponential growth. Things might move slowly at first, but with consistency, they accelerate and get to and past a tipping point that makes growth parabolic. It’s the same with achievement.
Consistency is the key you need. But consistently doing something day in and day out will take discipline. And this means doing what you have to do, even though you might not enjoy it at times.
Jim Rohn used to say: “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.” The choice is yours, so choose wisely.
A Sense Of Contribution
So you have the motivation to start on a path to success and you have the discipline to be consistent about the work you have to put in. Sometimes, along the way, you will get demotivated. It’s only natural. You will deflate and think that you’re getting nowhere, until you start to see results. But what comes after that? You might have started it for the money. Or for fame. Or perhaps there was something more meaningful than just that. A worthy ideal of discovering the cure to all world problems. When you arrive there, what comes next?
This is something that not many people think about. Even before you get there, you might sometimes just stop and ask yourself ‘What am I doing this for? Can I not just settle for where things are?’ And you might even be tempted to give up. After all, humans have a tendency to seek comfort.
But what will give you the discipline, in fact, to move forward, is beyond what you will get. It is beyond YOU. It is truly about others and what you will contribute to their wellbeing. It’s about what your motivation, consistency and discipline will amount to, in the service of those around you.
Maybe you decided to do something meaningful in order to be able to care for your family, your parents, your kids. Or maybe you wanted to make the world a better place in some way. Whatever you do that will only benefit you will not keep you going through the ups and downs of life. Things might go well for a while. You might get to know what you think success is. But after that, you will look inside and see that you are empty; that there is no meaning to life, and that all the money and power you have are not enough to buy the joy and happiness you’re craving so much. What then?
So ask yourself… Is it money I am willing to do something big for? Is it fame or power? If it’s one of these or something that only relates to you, please reconsider. When you do something that goes beyond serving just yourself and more in the benefit of others, you will feel that sense of contribution that brings you joy and happiness. Success and financial gain will be a by-product of your service to the world.
Start Today
If you got so far into this article, you are one of the achievers. You are one of the people I do what I do for and you are more than ready to start (or recalibrate) on your journey.
So here are some practical steps for you:
- Think about that ideal you’ve always had. Think about it and imagine what it would be like to achieve it. Feel it in your body, see it, breathe it, live it. See yourself in that place and smile!
- Feel the excitement coming from having done it! Really feel it. Pay attention to the sensations you are having. Smile, cry and be grateful. And double the excitement!
- When you’re ready, grab a pen and your journal and write down what you want to do and why you want to do it. If you don’t yet know your why, just write down the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe at first you would want to earn some more money because you have a kid on the way. That’s fair enough. Ask again why you want to do that and write down the answer. Ask again why you want it and write down the answer. Ask yourself why as many times as it gets to get to the bottom of it. When you’ve asked why enough times, you will get an answer that just clicks in your head and makes you realize that it’s not the immediate personal gain that fulfils you, but something far beyond it.
- Think about this for a moment and write down what you plan to do to start. You might not yet know the how, but don’t worry – it will come as you go.
- Most importantly, declare to yourself that you will do what you have to do, no matter what. You will keep at it and do all it takes until you get there. And you will never stop even after that. Then take massive action. Something that can be done on the spot. And come back at it the next day! And the day after. And the one after that.
- Turbocharge your effort by getting someone to hold you accountable. If people around you will think that the idea you have is crazy or unachievable, get someone who doesn’t know you. Someone truly interested in supporting you in your journey. Coaches and strategists are great for this and they will help you tremendously. But remember – you get as much as you put in. If you are truly an achiever and you are ready to commit to doing what it takes to get to your goal, I will help you! You can reach out to me at support@danielccoaching.com. But I warn you! I am only for those who can keep up and really run the extra hundred miles it will take to get where they want. If you’re not ready for that, don’t bother. If you are ready, I will help you!
Remember that the power is within you. But you have to put it to work by putting yourself to work and by committing yourself to making the impossible possible for yourself! Once you do that, EVERYTHING ELSE will follow!
Daniel C Coaching 