Motivation, Disciple and Habits

Let’s talk about the softer skills of making significant change in your life. We spend so much time talking about the sessions, the coaching and the program, but they only work when you hit them with consistency. This is where motivation, disciple and habits sit. These are the things that determine whether you show up, put in the work, and do it again enough times to make a change. So what are they? Motivation Motivation in its simplest for is why you do something, in this instance why you train. It could be to pursue an athletic goal. It could be to work on your health. It could be so that you can have the energy to enjoy movement and play with your family.

All GREAT motivations.

But we often have these motivations and still don’t do the things you need to do to make those outcomes a reality. Which is why I like to look at motivation as something that follows action rather than precedes action.

Yes, you have the same why from above, but the most motivating thing on earth is when you see progress towards that why. It is INCREDIBLY motivating seeing your athletic performance improve, and feel more and more unstoppable on the court. It is INCREDIBLY motivating to see your health improve and actually feel the benefits of improved health. It is INCREDIBLY motivating to see the enjoyment on your kids’ faces when you do run around with them and play in a way you couldn’t before. This to me is the most powerful form of motivation. It’s so much better than watching a hyped-up YouTube video, or thinking about what you could be. Instead, you’re in it. You’re feeling it. You’re living it. You’re becoming it. You end up wanting more. Discipline Discipline differs to motivation, in that motivation works with your emotions, and discipline works against them. Motivation is doing something when you want to, when it’s fun, when you’re excited to pursue the feelings I just spoke about. These feelings are never constant.

Sometimes you’re tired. Sometimes you’re sore. Sometimes it’s cold. Sometimes you’re alone.

Discipline is when you work against how you feel, and you do it anyway. It allows you to accumulate effort over time, which is a real key to progress. Intermittent effort gets intermittent results. Consistent effort gets consistent results.

But how to you improve your discipline… Habits So, we know you can improve your motivation by taking action, staying aware of the positive outcomes, and enjoying them. If you can take action you can control it. If you can control it, you can change it. That in itself is empowering. With disciple it is less clear. It’s often seen that some people are disciplined, and some aren’t, and it sucks if you see yourself falling into that second category. So, we need to find a way to take control of discipline and start to lean on that. I believe that the way to do that is by creating habits. They are the basis of what discipline is. They are the physical embodiment of mental discipline. And you can control them. The problem with discipline as a concept is it’s this huge overarching sense of focus, effort, drive and often restriction or single mindedness which should always be there. The beauty of a habit is that it can come and go. You can switch in and out of it. They can be situational specific, and you can quantify and track them in a much clearer way. They are the key to discipline. My Advice Focus on a few key habits that are going to be big needle movers towards your goals. I’m talking 1-3 things. The biggest rocks you’re 90% confident you can move forwards every day rather than little pebbles that barely change the landscape. Create discipline on those, and those only. Track your work on them and make it visual. Have a calendar on your wall and cross off each day you do it. Spend 1 week accumulating crosses. After a week, when looking at that calendar a missed cross is going to be jarring and sit less easy, another cross added will be rewarding. Then what have you potentially created? Motivation. By putting in effort and seeing a positive outcome. “I’ve been consistent for 7 days and I’m proud of myself, this feels great. I want more of this”. You have now tied all three together. Habits, leading to discipline, leading to motivation, leading to continued committed effort. Next, take a moment to acknowledge times where you have already achieved this process, You already have positive habits in your life. You have already proven to yourself you can do this process. Now pick your next habits and get to work. I’d wish you luck, but you won’t need it. You already have everything you need. Ian.