It’s been said that motivation & inspiration are fleeting while discipline & habit are more reliable. Which camp are are you in?
Team Motivation or the Discipline Crew?
It’s been nearly 3 weeks since I took part in a white collar boxing event, the result of 8 weeks of training, having had no previous experience in the sport.
Having reflected on the process leading up to the event and my Inspiration/Motivation vs Discipline/Habit levels, I’m happy to share how I think we can get the best of both worlds.
Inspiration - 💡- is a powerful trigger. The self starter that gets the juices flowing. What makes it special is that inspiration is personal. No one can tell you what to be inspired by, it’s yours. Own it. Although it is an essential ingredient for initiative and ignition, it can be easily diluted by its opposite, discouragement 👎🏾.
Motivation - 🚀- is turbo fuel. It gets the wheels turning, fast. Motivation will get you to the first milestone, perhaps the 2nd or 3rd. It’s like the booster that gets Elon’s rockets out of Earths gravity and you’ll feel good while using it up. Unfortunately, it won’t get you to the moon, never mind Mars or further a field.
Discipline - 📏- is the taskmaster. The caring parent that is not your friend but knows what is good for you 🤣. Discipline is the plan, the roadmap or technical process. It’s not sexy and usually requires saying No, more than Yes. The good news is, as long as the direction of travel is the right one, it will get you to your destination even when it hurts a little bit or feels like a slog.
Habit - 👋🏾 - is the invisible hand. Habit is your natural ally and will pull you towards the next checkpoint, plateau or finish line. As long as the end game is the one you really want, habit will get you there.
So how does it work in real life?
From a fitness, health & wellbeing perspective, I’ve found that having a clear challenging goal is key. It doesn’t matter what it is, can you say it in a sentence or two? If it’s vague, you’ve got work to do.
- I will complete a marathon in 6 months.
- I will complete 8 weeks of training for my next boxing match in December.
- I’m going to cycle from lands end to John O’ Groats over 4 days in March.
- I’m going to do 20k steps a day this month.
Next find a group who are on a similar mission.
When Freddie Mercury sung the song, he didn’t say, “I Am” he said, “We Are”. That’s how you become a champion, as part of a winning team.
Next, get a roadmap 🗺️. A plan. Get schooled on the technical process. It doesn’t matter if you get knocked off track or pause, atleast know how to get there. Even the latest Airbus or Boeing 🛫has to course correct when piercing through the turbulence.
And finally. Just know that you can and you will.
That is my take on it. Anything to add, tweak or take away?
Let me know in the comments.
#Discipline #Motivation #Inspiration #FitnessMindset #WhiteCollarBoxing #Leadership #Goals #HealthAndWellbeing #PersonalDevelopment #Teamwork #Performance #Improvement #Grit #Compete
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