Discipline > Motivation

How we have all been told lies about motivation and how it is NOT required to make progress.

Learning to choose the hard right over the easy wrong.

Everyone who has trained with me knows this is step 1 of self improvement.
They also know that results are a combined sum of work done when we don’t feel like it.
It’s easy to go to the gym when we feel motivated, when we feel driven, when all the pieces of the puzzle have fallen in place and creates this aura of invincibility.

But if it was that easy - everyone would have the physique of their dreams.

I encourage my clients to actively adopt a mindset of:
”If I can do it now, get it done…. NOW”.

To put into practical terms:

• Try and get the gym sessions done and dusted as early on in the week as possible.
  This not only cuts out excuses but means that when the unpredictable happens - you have already smashed all your sessions and you are still on track.

• When you can get your steps in, GET THEM IN!!
  Most days of the week will not present itself as a leisurely day and this leads to clients falling short of of their target by a few thousand steps/day during weekdays.
  The solution?
  When you have the leisure and freedom to go on a longer walk - go on a LONG walk!!
  One step burns the same amount of calories when done on a 10 step walk to the toilet vs a 10km walk outdoors.
  Bumping up the average step count when you can leads to the same average steps/week and same calories burnt.

• Hitting protein targets.
  Starting the day strong with a protein-packed breakfast will decrease the amount of protein you have to eat in subsequent meals.
  If you track your protein intake and have tracked on days with vs without breakfast, you will know that reaching your target is much easier when a third of your goal is done by 10am.

I can list further examples to support the above idea but hopefully you get the point.

As you slowly begin to develop this sense of discipline in small areas of your life, it will compound to a point where even though you are ‘unmotivated’, you get into the habit of showing up and getting things done.
You will often find the most motivated people are in fact the most disciplined and have their life organised in a way such that their willpower and motivation isn’t actually tested (but this topic’s for another day).

Learn to show up.
Learn to control what you can.
Learn to be ruthlessly disciplined.
And results will be inevitable.

“Only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you aren't disciplined, you are a slave to your moods. You are a slave to your passions. That's a fact.”

Eliud Kipchoge
First athlete to run a sub 2 hour marathon