MOTIVATION AND SELF DISCIPLINE

What is Motivation?

Motivation is not an emotion or mental state in itself; rather, it is a psychological and cognitive process that influences one’s emotions, mental states, and behavior. It is the main driving force that make individuals initiate, sustain, or terminate specific actions or behaviors. It can be intrinsic (coming from within), extrinsic (from external factors), achievement-oriented, social, fear-based, self-determined, or driven by basic biological needs like hunger. Motivation varies in intensity and plays a pivotal role in education, work, personal growth, and goal attainment. When people are motivated to pursue something, they value, they experience positive emotions like excitement and enthusiasm and mentally they have heightened focus, concentration, and a sense of purpose. Motivation is mentioned as a driving force because it propels individuals forward, sustains their efforts, and directs their actions toward specific goals. It is a dynamic and essential component of human behavior that empowers individuals to take control of their lives, strive for personal and professional growth, and overcome obstacles on their path to success.

Motivation

How a Motivated Person Feels?

A motivated person’s day is a symphony of purpose, determination and positive emotions that harmonizes and creates a rewarding rhythm. From the moment they wake up, they are driven by an unwavering sense of purpose that propels them forward with unbridled enthusiasm. Every task they undertake is imbued with a determination that increases their commitment to achieving their goals. Achievements, big or small, are celebrated with deep satisfaction, providing fuel in the burning of motivation. Their progress is not just a series of steps; it is a testament to their resilience and unwavering belief in their abilities. This daily cycle of purposeful action and the resulting sense of satisfaction forms a self-reinforcing loop, that ensures their motivation remains the driving force throughout their journey. It’s a beautiful melody of ambition and commitment that echoes until they finally fall asleep, eagerly awaiting the sunrise and the promise of a new day of opportunity.

How can Someone Deal with Motivation Deficit?

A motivated mindset requires a strong foundation of self-discipline. Without self-discipline, it can be challenging to maintain the consistency and focus required to pursue and achieve one’s goals. Motivation alone may fluctuate, but self-discipline provides the stability needed to stay on course. It allows individuals to resist the temptation to procrastinate or give in to distractions. While motivation can provide short-term bursts of enthusiasm, self-discipline sustains progress over the long term. It ensures that individuals stay committed to their goals even when motivation naturally ebbs and flows. In the last few days of my life, I was completely lethargic, in a continuous sleep mode. I didn’t even have the energy to cook a healthy meal for myself. I would prefer to sleep until the pangs of hunger forced me to wake up. This continued for two whole weeks, during which I had forgotten all about my goals. I wasn’t even aware of what I was doing. Then, one day while scrolling through Instagram reels, I came across a random video that posed a simple question: ‘What has happened to you? Girl, go get back control of your life.’ That moment, I realized the extent of what I had done. I had compromised the two years of hard work I had put into becoming a more productive version of myself.

I used to have morning rituals, well-planned goals, and the determination to achieve them all. Now, I was spending my days sleeping and achieving nothing. As soon as I realized this, I started to figure out what had gone wrong. Some setbacks in my life were reinforcing the belief that all my hard work was in vain, so at least I should enjoy my own life. I did what was urgent but not necessarily important. Trust me, I couldn’t come out of this phase in just one day. It took me a whole month to get back on track. I began with small activities, like waking up at 7:25 am instead of 7:30 am. Then after every three days, I reduced the time by 5 minutes until I was waking up at 6:00 am again. I started with making just a sandwich each day, and now I cook whole meals for the day. Progressing from reading one paragraph each day to ten pages a day was the most challenging part. Even now, I have self-doubts about whether what I’m doing will make a difference or not. There are still times when I feel unmotivated, but my self-discipline reminds me of the good days and keeps me working slowly towards all my goals. I am determined to be just 0.1% better each day. I don’t care if others are improving by 10% each day. In essence, motivation must be backed by self discipline to overcome the struggles of dealing with a lack of motivation.