Karleigh Lynne

So often we get stuck in this mindset of “I wish I had the motivation to do X.”

We rely on motivation to keep us going after things. Whether it’s exercise, cleaning, reading a book. We use the lack of motivation as an excuse not to go after our goals.

Ooh, that got pretty deep pretty quick.

I’m definitely not playing when it comes to these more tactical episodes.

Here’s some facts for you: motivation will never always be there.

I’m not always motivated. Heck, if I’m being completely honest, I’m not ever truly motivated to write podcast outlines. But I love recording them.

The fact of the matter is that if I don’t have outlines to keep me on track, I rabbit trail so hard that we end up on a subject that isn’t related, even a little bit. So I’ve taught myself to get disciplined.

I know that if I want to record a quality podcast episode that’s going to benefit people, I need to write outlines that will help guide me in the direction that I want the episode to go. This ensures I’m providing as much value as I possibly can even though I’m not all that motivated.

Discipline is doing things even when you don’t want to.

I know that’s not the very sexy thing to say. I know it’s not the popular thing to say, but it’s true.

Discipline is a skill just like confidence. The more you use it, the easier it becomes. But you have to use it in order to get better at it. It isn’t something that falls in your lap. Discipline is something you have to work at. It isn’t easy, but once you start making discipline a habit, it gets easier.

Although I will say it does make it a bit easier when you have that initial motivation to get you moving.

Think about workout programs. You have the initial motivation for the first week or two, that’s when the motivation fades. When the motivation fades is the most crucial time to keep showing up anyway. That’s when discipline begins to form.

This applies to more than just fitness, though. Whether you’re starting a podcast, starting a new job, trying to get disciplined in journaling, working on recognizing gratitude, working on your confidence journey, reading a self help book.

Now I don’t want you to use lack of motivation as an excuse not to get disciplined. Initial motivation does make it easier, but it is definitely not impossible without it. So don’t go thinking that you can’t start until you feel the initial burst of motivation.

I’ve read that quote “Motivation is what gets you started, discipline is what keeps you going.”

And while there is truth to that, it gives too many of us an excuse not to get started.

I’ll use myself and this podcast as an example. It’s one of my favorite parts of what I do now. I LOVE sitting down in front of the mic and talking to you. But I would’ve never got here if I waited to be motivated and STAY motivated.

I wanted to start a podcast well over a year ago but I kept putting it off because I was waiting to be motivated. It wasn’t until I made the decision to just START that things started to move. It wasn’t until I made the decision that I was going to discipline myself into consistency that I actually sat in front of the mic.

So getting disciplined doesn’t mean you push yourself to do things you don’t enjoy.

It means that you make it a solid habit to find out if you enjoy it or not.

Even though I love this podcast, it does take work. It takes creating outlines, getting the shownotes ready, finding quiet time to sit and record. My quiet times are far and few between so when I do get quiet time I need to get as many recorded as I can. As much as I enjoy doing podcasts, sitting down and recording 6-8 episodes at a time doesn’t always sound like much fun. But because I’ve made it a habit I’m disciplined in, I no longer have to ask and see if it’s something I feel motivated to do. I just do it because if I don’t, no one will.

There’s nothing wrong with feeling motivated, or wanting to feel motivated, but you can’t rely on it to keep you going. You’re going to get tired, you’re going to get busy, life will show you 2342 reasons why you just can’t do it, why you’re just too tired, why you don’t have time, why you can’t because blah blah blah.

You have to get disciplined. How do you do that?

You follow through on what you say you’re going to do. That’s all there is to it.

I know that’s easier said than done, but it comes down to making a choice and decide that you’re going to keep it.

Your journey to confidence has a lot to do with building trust within yourself. You do that by following through on what you tell yourself you’re going to do. That’s how you get disciplined. It’s all a cycle that’s going to help you in every area of your life.

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