Why Discipline Is Better Than Motivation

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If you are inspired by motivational videos, training courses and books, but it doesn’t change anything in your life, or changes very slowly and little, so this JiJi.ng article for you.

Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

Proverbs, 16:32.

Today, the Internet and bookstores are filled with motivational products to inspire us to a new life and great achievements.

But why is the situation now, which should, in theory, benefit, has become for many people a curse, creating a mass of dissatisfied people who are constantly dreaming about a trip, planning the route, but are without moving from their seats?

For many people, the absorption of another portion of the motivation was like adoption of addict dose, after which the withdrawal takes place, and everything in life remains the same, except the feelings of helplessness and worthlessness, which is steadily growing. And to cut to somehow move, we introduce another dose of motivation, closing the vicious circle.

Why do we not have the courage to admit that the motivation is not working and it is necessary to look the other way? What will help us to go to the goal, so to achieve it? But before we answer these and other questions, let’s “synchronize terminology”: for the sake of simplicity and understanding we put an equal sign between the concepts of “motivation” and “inspiration” and between “discipline” and “self-control”.

Motivation is on the crest of emotions

The task of motivation is igniting in us emotions, raising a wave of feeling that we will incur to the cherished goal. This surfing on the crest of a wave, but not the hard work with oars. Beautiful, exciting, easy.

But if the ocean waves can’t stop, then in the reality of our lives emotions – this is one of the most fragile, fleeting and impermanent events. You can sit on the beach for weeks or months, but didn’t catch the wave. In fact, our life is a beach dotted with surfers, who has a similar expectation. Only a few take the oars and row slowly but inexorably moving away from the shores of mediocrity and emptiness.

The popularity and power of illusion

Motivation is popular, but not because it leads to results. Motivation is popular, like any other easy way. Unfortunately, man is so constituted that seeks an easy, but not the right path. And if it creates at least some semblance of a correct choice, it is likely it will be selected.

But the motivation doesn’t make the path easy, it just gives promises and creates the illusion that everything will turn easily and on an emotional lift. The man is in the power of his illusions, and is not ready – neither mentally nor physically – to the difficulties and obstacles that have always occurred in any way to a more or less worthwhile goals. Therefore, the smallest glitch can cause a retreat to the shore to wait for the next passing wave.

Of course, we all love a positive feeling: joy, emotional lift, excitement – and there is nothing wrong with that. The bad news is that we are dependent on them, and they are not us. We become like a drunkard who, without the infusion of alcohol can’t and doesn’t want to work.

Justification for lazy people

Of course, a bricklayer, or the driver will not be able to refer to the lack of inspiration, but the representatives of creative professions have for their laziness a great alibi.

To paraphrase the famous Chuck Close:

Inspiration – for the lazy, the rest just work.

Therefore, today I invite you to abandon the service and inspiration to take the true queen of success. Meet: Her Majesty discipline!

Discipline: rowing through the waves

Unlike motivation, discipline is not waiting for a suitable weather and suitable wavelength. It doesn’t care about the emotions and feelings, it doesn’t need them, it creates by itself and makes them to serve its purposes.

Yes, discipline is not given so easily. It doesn’t appear after the movie, the film, a seminar or a podcast. Being small and weak, it is hard to wade through laziness, fear, and “don’t want to.” But if to nurture and train a discipline, it is growing and gaining momentum, and it will help you to carry any obstacles on the path to success and fulfillment. In addition, every day it will requires you to less and less effort and attention.

Discipline has only one drawback: it is correct, but the hard way. Therefore, it is unpopular and has a lot of fictions.

The myths and lies about discipline

Myth 1. Discipline and creativity are incompatible

Maybe you didn’t know, most geniuses worked hard, and many did not wait for inspiration.

Somerset Maugham once said one important thing:

There is nothing that is called inspiration. The only thing that is included in the calculation – is hard work.

Of course, it may seem that the discipline – the enemy of inspiration. Perhaps the inspiration is the enemy of discipline, but the discipline is the best friend of inspiration.

Even the famous “90 proven ways to overcome the crisis and again find inspiration” (a paper book or PDF) offers us nothing else as real action and not merely waiting. But even if you just break paragraph by paragraph or stroke by stroke, the inspiration in the end will come. And it happens more and faster than if you just wait. To be more precise, it is always happening! In a disciplined creator and muse disciplined.

Myth 2. Discipline is a slavery

There was one French thinker – Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who said that true freedom – is an opportunity to do what is necessary and right.

From a logical point of view Rousseau is right. After all, what is freedom if you go to work on a schedule, do what you tell other people, obey the laws of the state, but can not cope with yourself?

Can it be called freedom, when you work for the interests of others, but because of laziness or neglect their appetite? It turns out that discipline and self-control is the real freedom.

But this is only the first step of freedom. Next – not only to do what is right and necessary, but also to love it, enjoy it. And here we are faced with the following myth.

Myth 3. Discipline and happiness are incompatible

This myth is based on the conviction that a healthy diet certainly is insipid, good music – is boring, exercise can not be fun, hard work (intellectual and physical) inhibits … That is all that is needed for discipline and self-control to be associated with negative feelings and emotions and, therefore, incompatible with happiness and bright interesting life.

But persistence is rewarded – you exercise enhanced secretion of the hormone of happiness, all tastes you can change, and delicious meals can be prepared. I will say more: if the food is good, nutritious and well-balanced, but insipid, it is junk food.

On the other hand, there are lots of things that still needs to be done. And they have to be done, if only because between their performance and our happiness is a direct connection. For example, many people don’t like sports exercises because have not yet tried. But there are those who will never be able to love sports, in spite of their usefulness for the brain and body. And will not help any motivation and self-hypnosis, but discipline can do this.

In addition, a lot depends on our attitude. It’s hard not to get the joy and pleasure of overcoming yourself from reaching your own goals.

Discipline leads a person through the achievement of results to the emotional state that is timeless bagpipers consider necessary to achieve this result.

It turns out, it is difficult to find true happiness without discipline. Without discipline it is impossible to be free, to own inspiration and break through the waves. What do we do with motivation? Throw ballast overboard? No way! Just start properly treat to motivational products.

Motivation is a picture of the future

Motivation is very good, like painting a picture of the future before us, shows us what awaits us if we take ourselves in hand and with the support of the discipline will be going forward. Motivation is good to recall about self-control and continuous movement.

So be sure to look motivational videos, read motivational books and articles. But even better – look for and cultivate inner motivation. Think about your goals, dream about them, plan to achieve them, draw pictures.