Discipline over motivation

All of us have seen, or likely been part of the vicious cycle I call the motivation cycle. You get really excited, you’ve got all the motivation in the world to make a change, and you do it. You start a new exercise routine, you start a new diet, you start tracking your habits, you start doing something every day. You do it for a while, maybe a few days, a few weeks, or maybe even a few months. But then something happens, or in Laymans terms, “life happens “and you fall off the proverbial wagon.

You start a new job, you get into a new relationship, you have a baby, you have to move, or whatever the case maybe. You find yourself, exhausted, tired, distracted, or otherwise less motivated to keep up the habits that you built. It’s not that you don’t think the habits you were building are beneficial. You know they were having an impact, maybe you even saw the positive change happening in your life, and in your heart, you know the routine was having a net positive impact on you and your future. But something happens, life happens, and you go back to your old routines.

If you relate to this, you’re not alone. 95% of the population has an extremely hard time, building a new habit, and actually maintaining the routine longer than 30 days. You start that diet and stick to it for a while, lose 20 pounds, but then find yourself right back where you started and having game that way back. You start a new workout routine, you hit the gym, 3 to 5 times a week, or maybe even every day, and you make some serious gains in the gym! Maybe you finally hit that 225 benchpress you’ve been shooting for, or you run that eight minute mile. Maybe it’s some thing as simple as taking a shower or brushing your teeth every day (yes there are people that don’t do either…..almost ever). 

So why is it that you can stick to a new routine or habit so consistently, so almost religiously, for a period of time, but then all of a sudden one day you stop? Most people will say that they “just don’t have the motivation to do it “ They make the mistake of relying on motivation alone. They think that all they have to do is cultivate more motivation, get themselves, psyched up and excited, and they can accomplish everything they want to do. Maybe you feel the same. Maybe you feel like all you need is a little bit of extra push (see below), a little bit of extra motivation, and you could do so much more than you’re doing.

Maybe you tell yourself that you’ve accomplished a lot, and that you deserve “a rest”. Maybe you tell yourself that you’ve done enough for a while, and that you would rather take some time off to recover and “take care of yourself.” But at the end of the day, what is the cost of that inconsistency? What is the net positive or net benefit?

For many people, it means they live the same month, the same year, and even the same decade, over and over and over. Constantly in a cycle of growing, changing, and building healthy habits, only to end up right back where they started. It looks like setting the same new years resolutions year after year every January and saying to yourself, "this year will be different" or "this is THE year for me". But in the end, its not, and you feel like you are right back where you started. You see it every year in gyms across the country. People flocking tot he gyms in January, and by spring, 95% of the, are coming once in a while or not at all. 

So whats the solution? How to you "stay motivated" enough to get to where you need or want to be? The answer is.....surprisingly....you don't. You might be asking yourself, "well wait, how am I supposed to get anything done if I don't have the motivation to do it? The answer is simple, you need to build discipline into your life, and learn to keep your promises. Not promises to your boss, spouse, or anyone else, but yo YOU. Once you can keep your promises to yourself, and honor the commitments you made with consistency and excellence, the sky is the limit. What does that look like? 

-It looks like selecting a diet and sticking to it day after day after day for the period you commit too

-It looks like picking a workout routine to reach your goals and following it, not when you feel like it, not when you are well rested, not sometimes, but EVERY time

-It looks like making the decision to call 3 new customers each day for your business, and following through. Not 2, not 1, but 3 every single day 

-It looks like spending the afternoon with your kids on Sunday when you told your spouse you would

-It looks like getting to work on time after your boss told you this was your LAST chance 

-It looks like follow through with intention EVERY time

-It looks like mental toughness and grit to keep the commitments you made 

Motivation is a fickle and unreliable source or change. It comes and goes with the days and may or may not be there when you need it. Motivation is a tool to get you started, but discipline is what will KEEP you moving, keep you growing, and keep you moving forward. Every day is a step towards the life you want. Every action, every in-action, and every decision either pushes you closer to your goals, or pushes you the wrong direction. 

If you want to build discipline, and mental toughness, there are some easy ways to do that. 

-Start a habit tracker - lots of options out there, I use the template from James Clear, the author of "Atomic Habbits" because its simple and clear

-Find an accountability partner and have them join you on the journey. Discipline is a solo activity and nobody can help you 24/7, but having someone to check in with you can make a huge difference

-Complete the 75 Hard / Live Hard program created by Andy Frisella - this one explains itself, but if you aren't familiar, check out Andys podcast and books. The program is made to build mental toughness

In closing, I wish you all well on your journey to create the life you want. If you have thoughts or feedback, leave them in the comments or send me a DM. Get out there and #getsome!