DISCIPLINE AND MOTIVATION

Discipline is the bridge between goals and success. It allows you to pursue your maximum potential. Motivation is unreliable: it comes and goes. Motivation is not the start. "I need to get motivated before I..." is the greatest excuse for personal development. Taking consistent daily action to develop powerful habits will create motivation, build discipline, and set organization, efficiency, and structure in your life!

EXPLORING MOTIVATION AND DISCIPLINE

Motivation: a short-term feeling that comes and goes: it does not matter if it is there or not

Discipline: the ability to give yourself a code of behavior and follow it to achieve a desired outcome regardless of how you feel: it is a daily choice

WHY MOTIVATION IS UNRELIABLE

Motivation is based on whether you feel like doing something. It is impacted by lack of energy, depression, mood swings, blood sugar levels, and emotions. If you only do what you are supposed to do when you are motivated or feel like doing it: you can not achieve long term success! If getting motivated is your strategy: you can not create habits. Habits are the foundation of discipline and require daily consistency.

DISCIPLINE IS KING

To become the most successful person you can be: discipline is a virtue. Think about the person that you want to become: what would you put that person through to make them who they are and develop the desired character and physique traits? A glimpse at your future self is found within your daily habits.

CREATING SELF DISCIPLINE

Start small and practice building new habits regardless of how you feel. Science has shown that individuals who are resisting some sort of tempting behavior and are successful in doing so: increase the size and activity of their anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC). The aMCC is a key brain area that integrates pain, arousal, cognitive, and motor control: it is involved in generating tenacity.

Stop seeking instant gratification as it is distracting you from your responsibilities. There is no point in sabotaging your future self to gratify your present self!

• Ask Yourself Quality Questions

• Why do I truly want to achieve this goal?

• What am I willing to sacrifice?

• Who am I willing to surround myself with to grow and develop?

• Am I ready to embrace suffering and being uncomfortable?

• What resources are available to me to help me learn more?

By gaining clarity and understanding your true why: you are more likely to take actions and adhere to them long term. The future you depends on the current you!

UPGRADE GYM DISCIPLINE

Below are common excuses people make to avoid achieving their desired outcomes along with an explanation for each one to help you stay on track:

• I Do Not Have Time: one of the worst enablers of bad habits and the biggest excuse. By saying you do not have time: you are giving your power to an imaginary force to relieve yourself of the responsibility. What you mean to say: it is not a priority. At the end of the day: we prioritize and make time for what is most important to us. P.S. Check your screen time!

• I Do Not Have A Training Partner: take a step back and remind yourself why you train. You are not at the gym to have fun with a training partner and socialize. You are there to get results!

• Nobody At My Gym Trains Hard: you are the kind of person who does what needs to be done even if other people are not doing it. More importantly: you can lead by example, train hard, and people can look up to you. Somebody has to lead and be a role model: let it be you. You do not need anybody else to work hard: it comes from within!

• I Am Bored Of My Routine: your routine is not meant to be a form of entertainment. If you truly immerse yourself in training and focus on completing all movements with a high standard of quality: you are winning. The fun is seeing progress and improving each day and this compounds over time. If you have been doing the same routine for a while: switch it up!

• I Do Not Have All Of The Equipment: even if you only have one barbell or a pair of dumbbells: a lot of progress can be made. Variations within tempo, sets, rep range, hand and foot placement, rest periods, and intensity techniques are all great tools to adjust the approach and maximize training adaptations!

• I Am Waiting For The Best Time To Start: there will not be a perfect time to start. Starting is the perfect condition! If you are waiting for a time when life is easy and you have extra availability: you are planning to fail. The more time spent in this state of mind: the more opportunities wasted. Develop the habits required now to go to the gym regardless of your other life commitments!

• Slow Rate Of Gains Is Uninspiring: shift perspective: your goal is to build and create the best version of yourself. As you become more advanced: realize that you are stronger, leaner, and evolved. Enjoy this and focus on flawless technique, mastering movements, and optimizing as many variables as possible: this brings its own kind of joy!

• If I Miss One Day I Spiral Out: reconsider and ask yourself why you spiral out of control: you may be putting too much shame, doubt, and pressure on yourself. It is okay and expected to miss a training session here or there. Nobody cares: restart your streak and remember the gym will always welcome you back!

• I Am Injured And I Want To Give Up: an injury is an opportunity to do a specialization program on other parts of your body. While you rehab the injury: there is a possibility to train hard in other muscle groups to increase their strength and size. After the injury has healed: the untrained muscle groups are now resensitized to training volume and ready to grow. By taking this approach: you do not lose opportunities!

SUMMARY

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing yourself take action and create your life on your terms. Real change comes from the compound effects of hundreds of small habits that accumulate over time to produce remarkable results. Nobody is coming to save you!