Achieving Goals: Motivation & Discipline

 

“Only the disciplined are truly free.  The undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites, and passions.”  — Stephen Covey

Watching people workout and maintain a healthy physique has made me set a goal or goals to get a healthier / much toned body. Those videos have willed me to take care of my body and be as healthy as possible, motivating me to make my body feel and look better with each passing day. But I have come to realize that when willpower fades, one needs to maintain self-motivation and self-discipline.

 While motivation can also fade over time, it is discipline that keeps you growing and achieving. If one has a healthy physique today, it is because of discipline. There are days that I’m super unmotivated to do anything, especially any sort of workout. However, because I have a schedule that I have sworn to follow, I do it. That’s discipline. It drives you to complete the work you don’t quite enjoy at the moment but is essential for the progression towards your goals. And so by the end of the workout, I’m happy that I stayed on track. I’ll have no regrets in the long run.

“Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing.” – John C. Maxwell

Motivation is ‘why to do’ something and discipline is ‘what to do’ for that thing. They are the two sides of the same coin that helps one achieve all their long-term goals in life.

Motivation is what helps you focus on your goals. It is a driving force acquired through inspiration and reasoning as to why you want to achieve a particular goal. Discipline on the other hand is “the bridge between goals and accomplishment”, as quoted by self-made millionaire, Jim Rohn. It is the effort you put into that goal to accomplish it. Create a habit!

Of course, the daily grind sucks even if you’re working on something you love but nothing comes easy! 

DON'T BE A SLAVE TO YOUR MOOD!

Motivation and discipline complement each other and somewhat go hand-in-hand. One needs both of these to be successful. You may be motivated but if you aren’t disciplined, then the motivation means nothing. Similarly, you can be disciplined but if you aren’t motivated to accomplish a goal, you will be burned out and exhausted by any effort you’re putting in. To stay motivated and disciplined, understand and remind yourself of that initial nudge, in other words, remind yourself of what motivated you for a goal and why you chose to discipline yourself for that particular path.

Personally, I have quite a few long-term goals that I want to achieve. One of them is becoming a cardio-thoracic surgeon. I am motivated to become it. It is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. With my father and my aunt being doctors, they have taught me so much about what a doctor’s job truly is and they have been my inspirations. Visiting their hospitals and learning about their patients’ histories, and hearing of all the good, the bad and the sad stories, has moved me to be the best doctor I can be. But while I am motivated, I’m not going to lie about this – I haven’t been disciplined enough as a medical student. And what is motivation without discipline?

It is okay to grow weary, to get tired, and to fail. But I need to get my shit together, excuse my language, and discipline myself if I want to be a cardio-thoracic surgeon. And so do you, if you have anything you’re motivated to do but not disciplined enough for it.

Remember, we need both motivation and discipline to achieve our goals.