Tuesday Thoughts

Motivation and Discipline 

Motivation is the spark of desire  to do something. You want to do it or at least like the idea of it.

Discipline is following through and doing what’s required, despite feelings. 

Breaking it down further we have 

external and internal motivation and discipline.

External motivation comes from wanting the reward, your next belt for example. Internal motivation comes from enjoying the actual experience, you enjoy the training, not just the reward. This can fluctuate. Sometimes you have lots of energy and are keen to go. Other times, you are tired or interest is waning and it’s less enticing. You can try to increase motivation by reminding yourself why you like it. Having inspirational material is helpful. Books, movies, games and such can all provide inspiration and motivation. I like to watch karate movies and technical videos, play martial arts video games and read books on karate history. 

External discipline could also be thought of as obedience. You follow instructions or orders for fear of punishment. This can get the job done but can also build a habit based on fear rather than personal drive. Internal discipline however is the willpower to do a thing even when you don’t feel like it to achieve your goal. Maybe you don’t feel like training today, but you know you have to if you want to improve so you just do it. This develops a healthy habit and a stronger mindset that allows you to push through difficult mental or physical feelings that are holding you back. 

Both motivation and discipline and important in martial arts (and anything else you want to achieve) but motivation can be fleeting. It can come and go with changes in mood or energy. This is when discipline is most important. More specifically, internal discipline. There won’t always be someone there telling you what to do. You are responsible for yourself.

It can take time to develop strong internal discipline. It doesn’t just happen. It’s something to work on. A simple method to start is daily routine. Every day at a set time, do  one minute or one set of the thing you want to improve. Set a reminder and just do it. Gradually increase the duration or add variety. In time this will become a habit, just part of your daily routine. You will see results and increased internal discipline. It won’t always be easy. Motivation is still a factor, but when you develop the skill to just do the thing, it becomes easier to bypass the negative feelings.