Motivation vs Discipline

What’s the difference between motivation and discipline? And how can we become disciplined when motivation runs out?
We can all agree that motivation is great when it’s there but what do we do once it goes? I find it helps to figure out what obstacles have previously demotivated us and reflect on some ways to overcome them.

We usually find the hardest part of doing a task is starting it, once we have started we tend to enjoy it! Whether that’s getting into our gym clothes, booking into the class, putting on our shoes to go for a walk or getting out of bed on a cold rainy morning. Most of the resistance comes before the task actually starts.

Tips for sticking with an activity once motivation goes:

• Be organised! The most common excuses I hear in the fitness industry are “I’m too busy”, “it’s too late now” or “I don’t have time”. These can be overcome with a bit of planning and organisation. It’s amazing the things we can fit into our day when we label the task as important.
• Make it a non-negotiable, when an activity is a priority in our day we are more inclined to find time for it.
  Don’t think, just do. When we do an activity enough times it becomes something we don’t contemplate doing, we just do it. This is how it becomes a habit. When we train our bodys’ to do an activity we find we do it out of discipline when motivation goes.

Things to remember:

• Not every day is going to be perfect. Sometimes it’s just about showing up and doing what you can. Start the next day fresh and try not to let it set the tone for the rest of the week
• Being uncomfortable is normal in new situations, trying a new class or having a new instructor can feel daunting at first however the more you do it the more comfortable you will become.

 

Annabelle Hughes