What is Self-Discipline and How Does it Help Change Outcomes in Your Life?

Have you ever noticed that some people just seem to be able to pick themselves up and push through no matter what? Whether they feel like crap, burnt out, or overworked, the motivation is always there.
And though it may seem like motivation to you because you are programmed to need motivation in order to do something, the truth is much different.

The truth is that those resilient people that bash through any obstacle are not even slightly motivated.
They are disciplined. And the difference between motivation and discipline is massive! Let us elaborate further on exactly what we mean here.

First off, one of the most distinguishing differences between motivation and discipline is that motivation can quickly leave you, while discipline can last forever. Motivation is often linked to external benefits and/or rewards, while discipline starts from within, it is often considered a character trait.

The difference between motivation and discipline is that motivation gets you started but often slips away as soon as things become difficult. It is easy to stay motivated as long as things are easy, but when circumstances become difficult, discipline is the one that gets the job done.

Discipline can keep you going even when everything goes wrong in the journey. Why? Because no matter what, you are pushing toward reaching your goals for your benefit, not striving to accomplish because of something outside of yourself.

When you do something, expecting an external reward or recognition for your achievement from others, you often walk away disappointed. When you are proving to yourself that you can achieve something you build self-respect, self-esteem, and confidence that you are capable of even bigger feats and accomplishments.

And though motivation and discipline can both help us achieve a goal faster, the truth is quite daunting. For example, you can be motivated to work out in order to impress a girl, or you can be motivated to perform better at your work to impress your boss and get that long-awaited raise.

And while that is not necessarily bad and can have temporary great outcomes, such external motivation isn’t really sustainable. This is what leads to a crippling pattern of people-pleasing which isn’t a good trait for anyone to have. If you are surrounded by people who are only there because ______________ and _______________ is based on your performance vs who you are authentically, what happens when you no longer are able or want to ______________?

Doing things based on motivation makes it harder for you to become the person that you want to be. You will be too busy being the person everyone wants you to be.

Discipline is one of the most important building blocks of self-love and self-respect. Have you noticed a difference in how you perform when you are motivated for an outcome vs disciplined? Share your experience with us in the comments.