Your Discipline Takes Over When Motivation Dies

Why you decide to pursue a goal and complete it, correlates directly to your internal drive to never settling for “good enough.” That term’s reserved for mediocre, average, and those who will never come close to reaching their perceived limitations. On the flip side, those that have the drive to consistently ascend the peak of adversity understand the struggle of performing on demand. There will be those mornings, weeks even, when laying in the comfort of your own bed is more desirable that shoving breakfast in your face and attacking the weights well before first light. I get it, I truly do, we’re all human and all have our down days. However, it doesn’t give you a reason to stay in the shallow end, because this is where your passions go to die.

For many, motivation is their catalyst for both internal and external growth. It can come in many forms whether it be from music, podcasts, friends, family, or a book. Think about it as the match to your bonfire or ripcord to your chainsaw, motivation can easily start a chain reaction towards self-improvement. How drastic the motivation needs to be will vary from person to person as well. Some thrive better with motivation that’s nice and clean-cut while others fair better with in your face, “get off your fucking ass” type motivation. I am definitely the latter and spread my messages to others in the same manner. I feel there are too many soft people walking around that can’t take quality constructive criticism and instead need to be coddled.

Regardless, at some point motivation will flicker out like rain on a campfire. This is where having an internal drive to stay disciplined will take over. It’s too easy to say “Rah Rah” after getting pumped and jazzed up while reading some inspirational bullshit quote. Following through with it though, that’s a whole different animal. Do you own the discipline to get after it when you’re sore? Do you own the discipline to get after it when you’re tired? Do you own the discipline to get after it when you’re hungry? Do you own the discipline to get after it when it hurts? Do you own the discipline to get after it when the Sirens of Self-Doubt start rapping their claws at the entrance to your mind? Do you own the discipline to get after it knowing that drastic results take years? Do you own the discipline to get after it when others will mock your journey of self-discovery? Do you own the discipline to get after it when you just want to simply fucking give up on yourself and your goals? This is what you need to figure out for yourself, no damn “guru” in the world is going to do it for you. Change comes from the unbreakable will to never surrender to the currents of mediocrity.

So, how will you reinvent yourself in order to leave a lasting memory on this life? You all have choices, what it comes down to isn’t just choosing the right path but also having the consistency to stick with it. Anyone can start something that’s beneficial but ask them how they’re doing at it six months, a year, or five years from now and see what their answers are. For a large majority, they’ve moved onto something else, due to a lack of discipline that was needed once the glamour of motivation had died and rotted away. In the end, always push forward especially in those moments when breaking down and crumbling appears to be a better choice.  No one ever came out the other side stronger without some heartache, pain, and blood along the way.

Written by: Ian Strimbeck