I used to think discipline was pure willpower, and most people seemed to be better at it than me. When researching discipline and motivation, I felt so defeated. I’ve tried “pushing through,” and it never works. But in studying my Bible, trying different strategies, and researching the science connecting discipline and motivation,  I’ve realized we’ve been looking at the two all wrong. 

Discipline can be joy-producing and invigorating, deeper than motivation. It can be productive but not overwhelming. Getting to this new life with discipline started with understanding three characteristics of discipline. Let’s get into it. 

Discipline Can Be Built

For months, I procrastinated getting back into the gym after moving. After all, everyone agrees: new gyms inspire pure fear and insecurity. But today was the day. I threw my hair in a high ponytail, grabbed my AirPods, and pulled up to the gym. It was packed with muscles, busting through shirts, lifting impressive weights. Do these people live at the gym? Surely, that was the only explanation for how they got this way. The impulse to run gnawed at me. 

Perfectionism walks us into the gym and says, “See? The only way you can lift any weights is by having huge muscles.” So we look down at our shrimpy arms and call it a day. But I had come this far. I took a breath, walked over to the easiest weights, and reminded myself: They’ve had a day one, too (Maybe at the dawn of time, but still). Muscles come from consistently building on what you have, and discipline is no different. 

The Inner Critic tells us, “You need to be jacked with discipline to get anything done.” But discipline is a muscle; it’s built by starting small and using willpower consistently. So when you’re tempted to give up and scroll Instagram, ask yourself: Is there a small part of the process that isn’t instantly overwhelming? 

For example, thinking about completing math homework is exhausting enough, but reviewing corrections from past assignments is both doable and productive. 

Discipline Requires Rest 

Just like our bodies need rest between workouts, pushing through tiredness, boredom, or math homework requires mental energy, so it has to be replenished. If we don’t rest, we’ll get injured, sometimes permanently. We will irritate our struggle with discipline if we don’t take a break from hard work, take a nap, maybe an Epsom salt bath, and eat protein-rich foods. This is great news: When your willpower is feeling overused, you’re not stuck with a tired muscle; you can rejuvenate it so it comes back stronger! 

One of the best ways to rest and feed discipline is by doing something fun every day. Here are some ideas: 

• Read an interesting novel
• Go hammock outside
• Play with your dog 
• Cook a new recipe

Discipline Requires Choice 

In 5th grade, I was obsessed with wilderness survival. I read every book and watched every installment of a show called Dual Survival. In one episode, the experts stripped a phone to build a fire. They also shared this nugget: phone batteries drain faster when you have wifi searching on, brightness up, and the camera in use. Years later, I use this information while hiking. If I want to take pictures, I turn the brightness down and wifi off so it preserves the battery for my phone camera. 

We’re like phones. We have the mental charge to do a lot, but not everything. If we use 100% of our daily willpower on a hard assignment, we’ll have 0% left to get us working out. So, set priorities. 

Priorities limit our expectations, rescuing us from saying, “I never get anything done. I feel like a failure.”  Instead, we’ll say things like, “I got my to-do list done today, I feel accomplished!”

We can’t do it all. But we don’t find joy in focusing on that; we find joy by focusing on what we can do.  

So today, what will you prioritize? Math homework and laundry? Healthy meals and working out? 

By choosing 2-3 priorities daily, we have enough willpower to get them done, telling our brains, “you can do this.” Over time, those hard tasks will become natural, and you can prioritize other hard things. This isn’t about only eating well on days you prioritize it; it’s about identifying what tasks require the most mental energy and giving yourself enough time and power to accomplish those, so eventually, they require less energy. Build the life you want, one brick at a time. 

What About Motivation? 

Motivation still has a role to play in making discipline less overwhelming. By reading blog posts like this one, you’ll feel sparks of motivation telling you, “this might just work. Let’s try it.” Follow that feeling while its here. Name your 2-3 priorities each day, schedule daily fun, and find a doable step towards your hard goals. These small practices are propelled by inspiration, but we do them again and again because we have hope. Eventually, hope will produce results, and results will fuel more hope. Christ says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (ESV). Productivity doesn’t have to be, “let’s see how much I can get done before I burn out for the day.” It can be life-giving, hope-producing, confidence-building, and truly fulfilling. It starts with understanding the moving parts—discipline and motivation—and how to curate a healthy relationship with them. 

Next Up

After interviewing 80 perfectionists, one of their biggest questions was this: why am I so unmotivated? If you’re like me (and most of us), you’ve wondered why motivation seems out of reach. Deep down, you ask, “Am I a lazy person?” Spoiler alert: You are not lazy. Don’t believe that lie. Read more in the next installment of this series on motivation, “Why Am I So Unmotivated? 8 Reasons”, which will be released Monday, December 11th. 

While you wait, sign up for my email list to get sneak peeks and exclusive bonus content!

PS: if you’ve been struggling to stay motivated through setbacks, I have a free resource just for you! It’ll teach you how to reframe your thoughts so you transform the Inner Critic’s discouragement into fuel for confidence and motivation. Just fill out the form below to get the free worksheet! 

If you haven’t already, have you read the other blog posts in this series? 

Why Motivation Doesn’t Work For You

The Recipe For Staying Motivated 

Until next time, 

Alycia Daniter