Discipline Doesn’t Come Easy
The research, says it takes about 66 days to build a new habit; motivation is often an extrinsic force but is what inspires us to become disciplined.
Hello Wellness Readers & Listeners,
Today’s blog post is about cultivating discipline. I consider myself a highly motivated individual and a somewhat disciplined one. There have been examples in my life that have shown me I am quite disciplined and there are other areas that mirror to me my lack of discipline.
Now that I am in my late twenties, I have a desire to become a more disciplined young man. I have noticed that my lack of discipline has caused me to “miss out” on certain opportunities, I refuse to allow that to happen in my thirties.
So while I was sitting on my couch, arguing with myself if I should record the new podcast episode, this blog post came to me. I at this moment may not be motivated to record the podcast but my desire to become more disciplined is what is pushing me to do, and it also pushed me to write this blog. This quote is a huge motivating factor in my life; I have witnessed where my lack of discipline has caused me frustration and self-loathing; which ultimately are not beneficial nor are they motivators.
“Lack of discipline leads to frustration and self-loathing.” — Marie Chapian
Areas I am working to become more disciplined are my fitness and finances.
How have I motivated myself to become more disciplined in fitness and finances?
I am not quite sure how I motived myself in the fitness realm but I can tell you that my presence as a nurse, my current health condition, and my desire to be the face of a health and wellness coach are part of the reason; I also desire to live a long healthy life, full of life.
My motivation to become disciplined with my finances is my desire to retire early, at 45 years of age.
Before we go any further let us define motivation and discipline:
Motivation •(n) The general desire or willingness of someone to do something.
Discipline •(v) To train by instruction and practice, as in following rules or developing self-control
Being that motivation is a noun means that it is a thing that exists and if it exists at one moment then in another it may not exist, hence is why would should not always rely on motivation. Discipline on the other hand is a verb, meaning it is an action word, discipline is what you chose to do in the absence of motivation.
Please note that motivation and discipline are both needed, motivation provides the initial spark but discipline is what keeps the engine firing.
For example, I, as a health coach can be a great motivator in the beginning phase of your health journey, but you must have the desire deep within and the grit to continue in the absence of motivation.
What are ways we can cultivate discipline?
Believe in yourself, believe you are worthy. When you value yourself you set higher expectations for yourself and you hold yourself to a higher standard.
Identify the behaviors that are holding you back. Once we identify the issue(s) that hold us back we can then face them head-on. Don’t hide from your shadows, learn them and conquer them.
An accountability partner. We are not meant to survive on our own. Having a person on your side during the initial phase of developing discipline can encourage you, enables you to create deadlines, and helps to be a beacon of strength and support.
Measure your progress; without measuring when you are now from where you were when you first started you will forget how much success you’ve had. Seeing progress will inherently provide you with the motivation to continue.
