Motivation vs Discipline

“How are you so motivated?”

“You always work, you must be so motivated, I wish I was as motivated as you”

If only I was as motivated as people think.

Discipline more often than not is misinterpreted as motivation. I have always liked studying, and I would do a couple of hours a day because I wanted the security that I wouldn't fail my exams. But there comes the point where your motivation is minimal, and discipline is what pushes you to repeat and continue the routine.

Every person who is disciplined, I believe, has a goal or their “motivator.” I do too. I have an idea about where I want my life to go and so when I see myself slip, I try to get back on track as quickly as possible. I’m usually good at taking my own advice, I know when I need a break and I also know that sometimes the only thing that will help my anxieties subside is not procrastinating and getting that assignment done. This is a discourse in which my opinions may not be the most accepted. Self-care is great, I love a facemask and movie night, but the only thing that has ever truly kept anxieties at bay is doing the work that needs to get done. For example, I recently had my first set of exams and coursework at University. I didn't leave prep work until the last minute, I didn’t have to pull an all-nighter the night before to get the assignment done on time. In fact, by that point, I had proofread my work twice and I had edited it around three times. The point of me telling you this is that this is my form of self-care. Planning. Scheduling. Of course, there were days were my hopes for my assessments were slipping, I failed to do all the tasks on my to-do list, I kept telling myself I didn’t know what I was doing. When I went to mark my work against the mark scheme [I mainly looked at 2:1 and First criteria] I marked every single thing that was relevant and that I have clearly stated my arguments in my essays. The result. I got the grades I deserved. I got a 2:1 and a fairly high 2:1 at that.

Discipline is hard, it's uncomfortable because it is always easier to just not do anything. It's easier to fail knowing you didn't try. But when you genuinely try and still fail, that hurts your ego, setting a precedent for more unproductive habits [or lackthereof]. But if you take this failure in a positive way, as if it was getting you a step closer to your goal, then it is easier to get back on track. This is something I need to practice as much as I preach.

In essence, discipline and perception are everything.

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