Discipline versus Motivation

by Marina Kogan of Kogan Coaching

The common nominator for both of them is moving towards a particular action.

Motivation is the tool that inspires you, helps you to create a bigger picture – to write a book, to develop a business, to win competitions… to achieve your goals.

Motivation creates a mood, feelings, sensations – we love what we are doing, we forget the time, we are in the flow.

If your ever established any goals you know the feeling, you have this sudden feeling of sharp realization – a light bulb moment.

Motivation is defined as the reason why you are doing something, or the level of desire you have to do something.

But if you wait for the motivation on regular basis there is a danger of creating procrastinations loops:

“I’ll do it later” —- “I am not productive right now” —– “Not in the mood right now” —-“Maybe I should start doing something”

The fact that you have already been motivated in the way Alexander the Great was, when he was planning to conquer the world and had a vision, and after he realised that travelling on that horse could be painful, so he will start when the saddles are made with a better design… a bit later, but not now.

Or ‘I’ll start training when I have that pair of trainers, or join find a great gym, or be in the Olympic form’. No, you start training and achieve the rest on the way!

Believing in motivation alone is a false attitude – you can be enthusiastic about boring jobs – for some it could be boring administrative tasks, doing your accounts, or jogging when you prefer playing basketball.

Now you can use a better and more powerful tool – discipline. Motivation helps you to get ready to act.

Discipline makes you act even if you are not feeling ready. Discipline is an activity, exercise, action… it is your own control by enforcing those actions to make your vision reality.

Discipline is the way to overlook your current mood and act irrelevant of your feelings, creating that feeling of being unstoppable.

The more discipline you have – the greater outcome!

Motivation is generally short-term and needs renewal. Your driving force is discipline, which takes you through ups and downs, like a loyal, reliable, courageous eternal engine with that vision in mind.

To develop discipline start with a few small steps and be consistent.