The Recipe For Staying Motivated
Peeling my eyes open, I felt the seconds tick by. My family went to bed hours ago; the house was quiet, and my dog was asleep in his bed. When will I ever be done? My to-do list seemed never-ending. Exhausted, I felt a hot tear slide down my cheek.
Should I turn on some energizing music? Maybe watch a motivational speech on YouTube? Should I splash water on my face and force myself to continue? After all, the sooner I get this done, the sooner I can slide into my crisp, soft sheets.
Chasing motivation felt useless because it was so sporadic. Mustering up discipline felt impossible because it required strength I simply did not have.
So what was I supposed to do?
Is motivation a lost cause because it’s more emotional than a tired toddler? Are we doomed to either have the willpower for discipline or succumb to an unproductive life? Is it possible to get things done and feel excited?
Yes, it is possible.
So, how do we use discipline and motivation to experience energizing productivity that leads to fulfillment, not burnout?
Let’s get into it.
Staying Motivated
In 3 months, I graduated from barely running a mile to completing a half marathon. It started with an idea: What if I run a 10k in February? Excited, I started training. Fueled by my satisfying, fast-paced plan, I crossed that 10k finish line without problems. Endorphins and adrenaline pulsing through me, I asked my parents, “Can I do that again?”
So, I started preparing for a half marathon. Week 4 of 8 came, and as motivation waned, I wanted to give up. The runs were hard, I was constantly sore and hungry, and the finish line was still so far away. If I give up, no one will notice. It’s not too late to get a refund. This is too big. I would rather sleep in.
No. Don’t give up.
Discipline kicked in, and even with those thoughts swarming, I kept going.
Blood, sweat, tears, and a pair of running shoes later, I made it to race day. It was the last half mile of the race; I was limping, and my muscles were tensing up. Hard training runs flashed before my eyes; I remembered how far I had come. Craving the satisfaction of completing the 10k, I reached that half-marathon finish line. The only muscles still working were my arms, so I was pumping them rapidly. The announcer called my name; I crossed the line and immediately fell into my mom’s arms. “You did it!” she cheered as paramedics dragged me off. I did it.
That afternoon, I signed up for my next race.
We don’t have to choose between motivation and discipline. They work together to feed excitement and inspiration while also feeding accomplishment so we can catch that bear, cross the finish line, and experience that teary-eyed satisfaction.
Here’s how it works:
Lightbulb! We get an idea, motivation kicks in, and we can’t wait to start this new project. Soon enough, we hit the long, wavy grass, and we get scared, bored, or frustrated. Motivation wants to leave and hand the baton to discipline. If we force motivation to stay, it shrinks into oblivion because it is not made to carry discipline’s load. But if discipline gets center stage, it propels us to keep doing the action without the emotion.
During half-marathon training, I wanted to stop. My motivation was zapped. But discipline kicked in and propelled me to endure. Crossing that finish line and seeing the results of chasing my goals brought my motivation back. The actions bring the emotions.
Scrolling Instagram (I know, I’m working on it), I found a reel where a girl pranked her dad by filling his truck with diesel instead of gas. Her dad fell for that? Doesn’t everyone know using diesel instead of gas will kill your engine? I thought. Well, I’ve played a similar prank on myself. Motivation and discipline have individual uses, and I’ve been killing my productivity by using one in place of the other.
The Recipe
Motivation is sustained by love, but motivation isn’t love. The Christian journey requires denying the flesh–choosing discipline over motivation. Discipline is all about love: making the hard choice of prioritizing something over yourself. If discipline is love, motivation is infatuation. Both are essential to relationships, but for different reasons. Infatuation propels love, providing momentum, ebbing in as a bonus. But love–staying when it’s hard–sustains the relationship.
Jesus’s love got Him through the cross. Love helps us endure the roadblocks and accomplish our goals.
When we understand the differences between motivation and discipline and use both correctly, it’s a recipe for getting things done, burnout-free. In fact, avoiding burnout is the minimum. We can finally experience joy, peace, and satisfaction in the muddy middle.
What’s Next?
The next post in this series, “How to Build Discipline Without Getting Overwhelmed,” will be released on Friday, November 24th.
If you haven’t already, check out “Why Motivation Doesn’t Work For You” to understand what motivation is, what it’s not, and the transformational Bible-centered view of productivity.
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!
In Christ,
-Alycia
3 thoughts on “The Recipe For Staying Motivated”
Congratulations for this usefull publications
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