Forged in Fire

There is a very common misconception within our society today with regard to the idea of motivation. 

As highlighted in last week’s blog post, motivation is a fleeting thing. It comes and it goes. It is by no stretch of the imagination a concrete thing in any one human existence.

So, what can we as people rely upon to keep us trucking along? To accomplish tasks and to hunt down goals that we’ve set for ourselves?

This is where discipline comes into the fold. 

You see, It has become commonplace for human beings to lean on their motivation alone throughout their day to day. To find oneself stuck in a pendulum swinging motion between extreme productivity and the polar opposite, simply due to rapid onset and offset of said motivation.

How can this be sustainable? And how can we mindfully assume that it could ever be?

Simply put – we can’t.

My understanding of this has grown exponentially as I progress into adulthood – in all things including my role as a husband and father, as well as within my career, in my fitness endeavors and as a friend and member of the community.

From the outside looking in, to most I am sure that I appear to be an extremely motivated individual, and to be fair; in most cases, I am. 

There are a host of extrinsic motivators propelling my actions on a regular basis, most of which pertaining to my family and all things related to them. This is something that I recently discussed in a write-up titled “What Keeps You Ticking?”

The importance of said motivators is something that can’t be overstated, but ultimately results in only a fraction of the puzzle pieces necessary. Even with these things hanging overhead, we find ourselves (at some point) lacking the extra “umph” that we typically house in order to carry out the tasks in our lives.

All this to say, in response to any thoughts or claims about my intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, I would most certainly rebuttal with countless examples of moments in time where I find myself less than motivated and instead pulling from the discipline that I’ve worked to develop and maintain over time.

The most perfect example of this is in reference to fitness consistency. In my case, running has been my avenue of choice to grow my fitness levels, both mentally and physically. 

I love to run, and its many benefits have been detailed heavily through this platform. In several ways, it saved my life – or, at the very least served as a redirecting tool that has altered my existence for the better.

Yet, despite all of this, there are times where it seems like a chore. The motivation(s) are out the window, and the discipline to put in the work takes over.

Reflecting on this, and acknowledging the weight and reality of it all is the first step toward putting it into action. Though the first and most important, it also stands as the most difficult to overcome.

As I’ve labored on about (and you’re likely tired of hearing,) the person you wish to become is right on the other side of discipline. On the other side of one leap of faith, and on the other side of the work that others aren’t willing to do.

Think to yourself: “How can I best optimize my abilities to overcome the resistance that stands in the way of whatever it is that typically motivates me? What needs to be done in order to achieve levels of discipline necessary to reach my goals?”

We’re all capable, and yet we will all falter.

Come to this realization, and adjust your life accordingly. 

Discipline is the answer today, tomorrow and forever. 

Forge on.

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