Discipline Requires Motivation

Denying this keeps us stuck.

Few things piss me off more than the conversation around Motivation vs Discipline.

This incessant, patronising narrative shoved down our throats—that we “won’t always feel motivated” and therefore “discipline is what gets results long-term.”

Fine. You need to be consistent to achieve results. That’s hardly revolutionary.

As you read through this article, you might feel that I’m arguing semantics just to be controversial, but I genuinely believe this is an issue.

Because when people are struggling—really struggling to change their habits—and all they’re told is that they need to cultivate discipline, here’s what they hear:

1. You need to work harder.

2. You need to tolerate more discomfort.

What a demoralising and useless message.

Even when people do give advice on becoming more disciplined—like setting clear goals, aligning with a deep “why,” or seeking support from others—these are actually strategies to enhance motivation.

I’m not sure if this boils down to an innocent simplification of short-form content to attract the most eyeballs…

Or perhaps a naïve form of egoic masturbation from people who’ve deluded themselves into thinking the only thing separating them from others is their work ethic.

That’s a conversation for another day.

Today, I’m going to make the case that motivation is a significantly more important part of health, wellness, or really any form of personal development than most people would have you believe.

But first, let’s make sure we’re talking about the same thing.

What is motivation?

Many people simply assume motivation means excitement or enthusiasm. And yes, that’s one definition. However, more broadly, motivation is the reason you engage in a particular behaviour, as well as a willingness (not always a positive one) to take action.

To complicate things further, there are different types of motivation. But that’s another topic for another day. For the purposes of this article, I’d like you to consider a broader definition of motivation:

The cumulative effect of internal and external forces pulling your behaviour in a particular direction.

It’s the often imperceptible drivers that steer our actions—and we can manipulate them in our favour. More on that shortly.

You’re always motivated.

Literally every action you take is motivated by something (actually, by many things).

You put on a jumper because you’re cold. But you choose the itchy monstrosity your nan knitted for you because you feel guilty for not wearing it enough before she passed.

You binge-watch Netflix in the evening to avoid sitting with the uncomfortable feeling of exhaustion in your body, but also because of the intermittent hits of dopamine your brain receives, keeping you hooked just enough to queue up the next episode.

You walk away from a friend during an argument, despite wanting to slap them, because your mum instilled in you the importance of non-violent communication—but also because you’re late for an appointment and simply don’t have time for a fight.

While motivation is always present, it’s not always helpful.

We run into issues when we’re more motivated to engage in behaviours that pull us away from the life we want, and less motivated for those that bring us closer to it.

So, how can we stack motivation in our favour?

Before we go any further, I want to make something clear.

There is no world in which achieving meaningful goals will be effortless. You can’t simply submit to the will of the universe and sail through life without any friction whatsoever.

You will have to do things you don’t feel like doing. You will struggle, you will experience discomfort, and you will doubt yourself along the way.

But when the motivators I’m about to outline are stacked and aligned, there isn’t this feeling of constant resistance that so many of us have come to equate with change.

Hard work is required, but it doesn’t have to feel forced.

With that in mind, here are some key factors for enhancing motivation:

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Purpose

Think back to a time when you failed to change your habits.

Can you honestly say you had a clear, meaningful reason to change? Or was it more of a spur-of-the-moment decision after a flash of excitement or desperation?

We often embark on new journeys as a quick fix for immediate pain. But that pain naturally fades. When it does, so does your drive. Without a clear reason for changing, you’ll stay stuck in this cycle and society tends to label you as “undisciplined.”

For example, I’m motivated to achieve a certain level of financial stability so that my future children don’t have to grow up in the same unstable environment that I did.

Until I realised I wanted kids, however, I chased money in short bursts like many others. I’d get pissed off with being poor and start exploring business opportunities, but as soon as that initial pissed-off-ed-ness faded, so did my drive to make more money.

Take some time to get clear on the real reason you’re seeking to make a change in the first place.

This might be harder than you expect, but if you’ve tried and failed many times to adopt certain habits in the past, it may serve as a valuable eye-opener.

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Autonomy

Don’t you just love being micromanaged? No?

Everyone seems to crave a step-by-step plan—the diet, the 8-week challenge, the productivity system—they think they want every step mapped out so all they have to do is execute.

But they’re wrong.

Sure, clarity helps, but rigid protocols can quickly drain our motivation. We want to feel in control of our decisions.

The irony is that these approaches are often people’s first step towards positive change, yet they’re set up to fail.

Is someone “undisciplined” because they couldn’t stick to keto for more than two months? Or is it simply an extreme diet that strips away many of life’s most enjoyable foods?

Principles beat protocols.

Understanding the core principles behind an approach gives you enough guidance to feel confident you’re on the right path, but enough flexibility that you don’t feel claustrophobic—a far more sustainable way to move forward.

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Fun

I hope it comes as no surprise that enjoying something heightens motivation. You haven’t lost that much of your childhood innocence, have you?

We’re so fixated on “the grind” that we overlook simple ways to make the process more enjoyable—and, therefore, more motivating.

Gamify the process, get friends involved, play music, pick workouts you actually enjoy rather than the ones deemed “most effective”—look for any and all ways to make the work fun.

If you’re so deep in hustle culture that even the word “fun” makes you cringe, then at least find ways to make the process suck less.

Struggle is inevitable, but with the right approach, you can find joy in the struggle.

Remember, you don’t get extra points for suffering more.

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Progress

Winning boosts motivation. However, most people only see grand achievements as wins.

They set their sights on a massive goal that may take months or years to reach, viewing everything in between as a necessary grind on the way to that precious outcome.

There are two major issues here:

1. Even if you work your arse off and make all the sacrifices, there’s still no guarantee you’ll reach that goal.

2. You’re delaying any sense of fulfilment or satisfaction until some arbitrary point in the future, even though 99.9% of the journey, by definition, happens along the way.

The solution? Focus on process-based wins. Celebrate your efforts, not just your achievements. This approach keeps motivation high by regularly reassuring you that you’re on the right track.

The beauty of process-based wins is that they don’t just influence the results you get—they reinforce the identity of someone who consistently shows up and takes action.

And that brings us to one of the most potent and enduring motivators of all…

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Identity

This one can’t be achieved overnight, but it deserves a mention.

One of the most demotivating ideas is that sustaining new habits will always feel as hard as forming them. We mentally exhaust ourselves with this belief, often sapping motivation before we’ve even managed to build any momentum.

As someone most would consider quite disciplined—at least when it comes to work, nutrition, and fitness—here’s a little secret: it doesn’t feel anywhere near as hard as you think.

To be clear, I’m not saying it feels easy. But once you’ve reached escape velocity from old behaviours and cemented new ones into your routine, they eventually become part of your identity.

At that stage, taking action still feels challenging, but stopping feels harder.

It takes time to reach this point, but it’s inevitable if you stay in the game long enough. You can help facilitate this by applying the strategies above to build motivation early on.

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This isn’t an exhaustive list, but hopefully, you’re starting to see how the hidden tendrils of motivation weave their way into our lives and influence our actions at any given moment.

It’s not as simple as relying solely on motivation or discipline. They coexist and influence each other.

Even when you tackle something you don’t feel like doing, there’s still a willingness driving you forward—how could it be otherwise?

Stacking your motivators creates momentum, allowing discipline to emerge and develop naturally over time. You won’t always feel enthusiastic about the task at hand, but motivation is quietly steering your actions in ways we often label as discipline.

In the end, it’s not about grinding harder—it’s about aligning better.

Sustainable progress isn’t about how hard you push, but how well you steer.

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