Discipline vs Motivation - In the Context of Fitness

“How do you stay motivated all the time?”

Oftentimes, people ask the question “how do you stay motivated all the time?” – and frankly the answer is that I’m not. I, like any other human being, have moments of feeling demotivated, or just overall feeling discontent with how my body looks and feels overall. I also face plateaus, body dysmorphia, and the other common struggles and issues that tend to arise in one’s fitness journey.?

So if it’s not unwavering, consistent motivation to work out, what really drives me to get up, head to the gym, and workout even when I’m not feeling it?

Discipline.

The Difference Between Discipline and Motivation

Motivation is fleeting at best, and can waver at the slightest change in environment, circumstance, life, and anything else that can get in the way of you achieving your fitness goals. Discipline, on the other hand, is a life-skill that is permanent, long-lasting and can be learned and applied in so many different aspects of your life.?

So how does one learn discipline in the context of fitness?

Short-Term Gratification

Fitness is something that provides long-term benefits and gratification, which means it can take a while to see change. Oftentimes people get frustrated by the lack of short-term results and gratification, and can be demotivated by the lack of change in the short-term. This is where finding the short-term benefits can help to keep you disciplined and focused on your goals; whether that be better quality of sleep, clearer thinking, or less pain and discomfort, these are all things that can be felt within the first few weeks of working out.

S.M.A.R.T Goals

Setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals are also a great way to measure your progress, and keep yourself accountable. By setting these goals up, you can use it as an indicator of your progress overall, whilst also not getting demotivated when you aren’t seeing the long-term results fast enough.

Choosing the Correct Activity

Every person is different, and every person is going to find it easier to stick with one activity than another. So what physical activity do you truly enjoy? Once you find that, you’ll find it easier to stick with it and to go consistently, rather than forcing yourself to do something that you don’t actually enjoy.

Making Fitness a Priority

The most common thing that people say is that they don’t have time to go to the gym or to exercise. Life happens, and that’s okay for the most part. Discipline is about re-evaluating your priorities and making sure to prioritize the things that are important to you. Most of the time, it’s not that you don’t have enough time, it’s that you don’t prioritize exercise or want it enough to make time for it.?

To learn more, visit?Train Fitness.