Let Your Self-Discipline Motivate You
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar
Our topic for this week, self-discipline vs. motivation, might sound like a competition, but it’s really more of a distinction. Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do things you know you should do when you don’t want to do them. Motivation is a willingness to do something based on a desire to achieve a goal and an excitement about the process. While your motivation identifies your “why,” your self-discipline helps give you the “how” or the means to get there.
One mistake I think we all make sometimes is to wait to be motivated before taking action. That leads to procrastination. In most cases, we need self-discipline to take action first, and the true motivation may come later. Having the self-discipline to just get started – to start small with micro-goals – can put us on track to achieve great things, one step at a time. And once we see some little successes, that can motivate us to go on to even greater success.
With that in mind, here are three tools, inspired by this article, to help you cultivate self-discipline, which may lead to greater motivation:
IDENTIFY YOUR STRENGTHS: We all have strengths and weaknesses. Increase your self-awareness around your weaknesses, and reframe them as opportunities for growth.
SET SMART GOALS: Make a habit of setting SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, rewarding, timely) goals, and establish a plan for execution. Setting goals helps you develop a future-oriented mindset and identify a clear direction for where you want to go.
SHOW SELF-COMPASSION: Be gentle with yourself – you’re a perfectly imperfect work in progress. We all stumble and fall sometimes. The key is to remember to get back UP again! Don’t give up on yourself. You’re worth it!
Remember, nothing changes if nothing changes. So set your eye on the prize, and just START. When we figure out the “why” and the “what,” the sky’s the limit in what we can achieve. Each new accomplishment makes us stronger and able to go on to the next accomplishment.
My guess is that YOU know what needs to be done. So what are you waiting for? Start small, with micro-goals, and don’t forget that the path on your journey is rarely linear, so expect setbacks. Often, slow and steady really does win the race.