Motivation vs Discipline: How to Master Both for Success
By keeping yourself encouraged and consistent, you can achieve anything!
Have you ever thought about what makes a car run? There are lots of parts that help it go smoothly, of course, but two of the most important components are the fuel and the engine. Fuel is what helps kickstart the vehicle, but it's the running engine that keeps it moving forward. Of course, without both fuel and the engine, you can't get to, well, anywhere.
Now, imagine that your big goal, be it in your career, school, or your personal life, is a car. The fuel that ignites you to work on it is your motivation, but the engine that needs to be consistently running to move forward is your discipline. It's quite obvious, you need both discipline and motivation to achieve all your goals.
What is Motivation?
Motivation is what drives you to get work done, because the desire to complete it is greater than the urge to not engage with it. Motivation helps in many ways -- it helps you focus, start your days with a positive attitude, and most importantly, is a source of resilience in the face of challenges or setbacks.
At the same time, motivation can also be fickle, subject to assaults from distractions. Plus, it depends on your emotional state too, which can be influenced by external factors, affecting stability.
Motivation can also be of different kinds, depending on where it comes from:
Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation comes from external rewards we get from completing an activity. When you're extrinsically motivated, you have an idea of reward, the prize at the end that is waiting for you. This can also work the other way -- perhaps you're not trying to get to a goal, but trying to avoid punishment by not letting something remain unfinished (paying your taxes, for example!)
Examples of extrinsic motivation
Some examples of extrinsic motivation could be receiving a raise or promotion at work after completing a big project, fame and power by launching something of your own, admission into a great college after getting good grades in school, and better health and fitness after losing a good amount of weight. All these rewards are extrinsic to both yourself and the goal.
Intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation comes from within, where your focus is on your own happiness and personal satisfaction. The intrinsically motivated take up goals because they love them and are fun, rewarding and make them feel good about themselves.
Examples of intrinsic motivation
Examples of intrinsic motivation include the pride you feel in yourself after doing a good job in a project, the confidence you feel after learning a new skill, the sense of responsibility and purpose you gain by working for the betterment of others, or simply engaging in a game because you love it and it makes you happy.
Trying to understand more about motivation? Try our quiz, based on the Procrastination Equation, that explains more!
What is Discipline?
Discipline is gaining control of your emotions, actions, time, and thoughts and harnessing them toward the path that will lead you to success. Building discipline involves habit formation and following routines consistently, even in the face of challenges and failures, till you get to where you need to be.
Discipline helps you gain self-control, improves your concentration, and makes sure you're held accountable for your actions. However, there's always the flip side -- if you're too rigid about it, it can cause stress and burnout, because you are forcing yourself to stick to your good habits and routines even if it's not practical. With too many restrictions and a schedule that's too tightly controlled, you risk losing some of your creativity.
Motivation vs Discipline in Life
Which is more important, motivation or discipline? Motivation vs discipline is a major debate in productivity circles. The fact is, it takes discipline and motivation to get anything done. You cannot set or start working on a goal if you do not feel motivated, and neither can you put in consistent effort if you do not have self-discipline. So, instead of pitting them against each other and finding excuses to not work, the smart thing to do is to learn how to leverage both!
How to Leverage Motivation and Discipline
Find your Why
You need to know why a goal is important to you, before you set it. Don't make the mistake of setting goals that don't mean anything to you -- you will find it impossible to summon the motivation to work on it! And as you embark on what might be a long journey toward your goal, it's also important to keep reminding yourself of your Why, and why it's important to you. That's how you create the discipline to push through the hard times and stick to it!
Take Ownership
Taking responsibility for your tasks and habits gives you a sense of true accomplishment when you achieve them. So, even if you haven't chosen a goal yourself, or if it's something you have to do, rather than what you want to, assume ownership. Honor the commitments you make.
Maintain Consistent Effort
Rome was not built in a day! Don't be disheartened if you don't see results right away. Stick to your goals, and little by little, progress will come! It's inevitable.
Eliminate Distractions
When you start a new project, try to identify what could get in the way of your progress. Are you going through a period of procrastination, or is there something that keeps distracting you from your work? If there is, try to remove all the distracting elements from the equation so you can stay focused.
Psst - trying to block distractions? Try our tool Dopanope to help you stop wasting time on the internet!
Exercise Self-Control
Temptations and distractions are everywhere, even if you actively try to remove them. Often you'll feel like giving in and abandoning your tasks and goals. That little voice whispers to you, "just for a little while!" But if you're not careful, that innocuous-sounding "little while" will stretch out, and soon take over everything and you'll be unable to get back into your habits and routines again.
Develop Connections
Discipline should not lead to isolation! If your goals are at school or in the workplace, try to collaborate with others where possible for some extra motivation and to make sure you're held accountable for your actions.
Celebrate Wins
When you do see progress, celebrate it! Enjoying little wins will keep you encouraged to stick to your path and keep moving forward. And it gives you those spurts of motivation every now and then we all need!
How BaaS keeps you Motivated and Disciplined
Think you need a little help with discipline and motivation? Why not try Boss as a Service! Our Bosses are here to help you find your purpose and passion, set your goals, check in every day to make sure you're working on them, and motivate you when you need it!
Final thoughts
The motivation vs discipline debate has no right or wrong sides. Learn how to leverage both to achieve your goals!