Motivation vs Discipline

Motivation

Motivation is a fleeting feeling; we experience it for a limited time and then it passes. Experiencing motivation before or during a healthy behavior is like the “cherry on top” of habit building. However, expecting motivation to arise when you want is a waste of time and energy, simply because we can’t control it. So, where does motivation come from? Motivation can derive from values, or an incentive for a desired outcome. Though motivation feels great and encourages action, its unreliability can discourage us from implementing and maintaining healthy habits.

Discipline

Discipline happens when we expend effort (both physical and mental) to complete a task in a moment we lack the motivation to do so. Research has supported the idea that it is not the time or effort you put into each goal, but the consistency of being disciplined enough to keep going (2). When we start brushing our teeth at a young age, it feels like a chore. After years of disciplining ourselves to brush our teeth, it becomes part of our routine. After years of practice, we now (hopefully) brush our teeth every day without much thought. Willingness to repeat a behavior trains the “disciplined brain” over time.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Specific: Having a goal of “wanting to exercise more” can be achieved by taking two more steps that day. Knowing exactly where and how to take action with a goal will allow us to measure that goal.

Measurable: Track progress and determine the level of success. Without knowing the desired outcome, we don’t know if we have reached the goal.

Achievable: Set a realistic goal that works around your schedule and is not difficult to maintain.

Relevant: A goal should align with our values. Asking ourselves, ‘Why is this important to me?’

Timely: Set a deadline for achieving the goal. Thinking back to the amount of time it has taken in the past to be successful with similar goals may help determine what is a realistic timeline for our new goal.

Studies show that when we achieve S.M.A.R.T. goals, our confidence and sense of fulfillment grows. Our brains also release dopamine (a feel-good hormone) after achieving a goal. These positive outcomes often lead to a positive feedback loop; as we continue these actions, we feel better and can more effectively establish long-lasting routines. (1)

Self-discipline

Research shows that recalling tasks that were self-fulfilling in the past can encourage current self-discipline (4). In other words, it may be best to start with what is comfortable and possibly build on top of that. Let’s say, we have a goal of exercising every day. Maybe, in the past, going to the gym was not rewarding and not sustainable long-term; starting with a goal of going to the gym every day to maintain daily activity may lead to burn out. Instead, recalling an activity that was more interesting in the past can lead to success with self-discipline. Think of the previous environment (inside/outside), setting (alone/group), and exercise (weights, dance, etc.) that you once preferred, then start with an exercise that aligns with what was previously comfortable. Starting with what is familiar, and slowly adding new or more challenging activities on top of that can reduce procrastination of achieving our goals.

Perfectly Imperfect

When unexpected events “throw us off track” of our healthy routines, it may seem like the only option is to abandon that routine entirely. Let’s think about the alternative; can we can focus on how to work with our obstacles? A rigid mindset can encourage “all or nothing thinking”, if the habit is not executed in the way we desire. We often think of the people who are most successful with maintaining their habits as people who have unwavering discipline. In reality, the people who succeed in maintaining consistency with their habits don't always follow a perfect plan, but instead adapt to their obstacles. A rigid mindset would lead to thinking, ‘If I don’t have time to do at least an hour workout, then I won’t work out at all.’ A flexible mindset would encourage thinking, ‘I don’t have an hour, but I can workout for 15 minutes.’ When working with life’s obstacles, maintaining consistency would mean showing up for ourselves in whatever capacity we are able to that day.

Bottom Line

It’s important to not that it is not possible to become an extremely disciplined person overnight. A flexible mindset can encourage maintenance of healthy habits long-term. Strong evidence supports the positive relationship of discipline and long-term adherence to habits vs the negative relationship of motivation and adherence to habits. Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals increases the likelihood of achieving and maintaining our goals, leading to increased confidence and sense of accomplishment.

References:

(1) https://www.jneurosci.org/content/27/31/8181

(2) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627302009637

(3) https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/adopting-healthy-habits-what-do-we-know-about-science-behavior-change

(4) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10701400/