When it comes to success, motivation and discipline are two of the most important factors. But what’s the difference between motivation vs discipline? Why do some of us struggle to stay consistent in their training while others keep going and going? Let’s find out…
Motivation is a feeling
There are some days when we are looking forward to work out, and there are others, when we would rather stay on the couch. Motivation is what drives you to take action. It’s the desire to achieve a goal, or the passion to do something.
But it is rather unstable. So, what is it that makes you get on the mat and hit the start button in the app, even if you don’t feel like moving at all? Enter discipline.
Discipline is a skill
Discipline, on the other hand, is the ability to stick to a plan or routine, even when it’s difficult. While motivation is what gets you started, discipline is what keeps you going. Discipline will make us choose every day to keep going so that we finally form habits that stick. This is especially important for goals like fitness, as they take a long time and don’t show immediate results.
How to improve your discipline and form a habit?
It takes a while to form a new habit, here are just a few ways to build your self-discipline:
- Start small
- It is much easier to start with just one new habit at a time, instead of changing our whole lifestyle at once. Go step by step, it will be easier to stick to your goals.
- Use your imagination
- Studies have shown that when you imagine doing your new routine from the very beginning until the very end, helps you to actually perform and stick to it. For example, imagine getting home from work, putting on your sports clothes, rolling out the mat, doing your training, putting the mat away, showering, and about how great you will feel after.
- Track it
- Either write down your progress, use a calendar, or use one of the many habit-tracking apps available. If your goal is to get fit, and you are following one of our training plans, this one is easy, as you can use the workload screen in the app to stay on track.
- Remove obstacles
- If you plan to wake up and work out first thing, set your clothes out the night before. Remove anything that stands between you and your desired action and could become an excuse.
- Leave yourself some room
- This is a tip from our featured athlete Melanie, she has set herself the rule: One day without working out is fine, but don’t let it become two!
- Use the help from others
- Tell every one of your goals so that they can push you to keep going, and remind you of your goals. Or, even better, ask a friend to join you and make it a challenge who will give up last.
- Remind yourself of your “why”
- Remembering the reason why you started will give you a spark of motivation and with that help you get going.
To create healthier habits and reach your goals, you need both, motivation and discipline. Remember your “why” to boost your motivation and your discipline to do the steps needed to reach your goal.
