How to Build Discipline when Motivation Fails You
The Key to Achieving Your Goals Lies in Consistency, Not Inspiration.
I used to believe motivation was the missing piece standing between me and the success I dreamed of. That if I could just find enough of it, everything would fall into place. Like promised by society.
But here’s the thing: motivation only gets you so far.
I’ve been motivated before, and it’s never been the fuel that’s carried me the distance. That’s why this week, we’re diving into strategies to build a net of discipline—so you can catch yourself when motivation inevitably fades.
Why Motivation Alone Won't Make the Recipe for Success
Motivation, by itself, is not enough. I might even go as far as saying it is overrated.
Motivation is fickle. One day it’s there, pushing you forward, and the next, it’s nowhere to be found. You can’t count on it—it’s too unreliable to take you where you really want to go.
Let’s be real. We’ve all had moments where we set out to crush a goal—whether it was hitting the gym, starting a new project, or learning something new. At first, we’re hyped, full of good intentions, only to watch that excitement fade after a few weeks. And what happens next? The goal fizzles out, disappearing like sand through our fingers.
That’s why motivation, no matter how strong, is never enough.
Betting all of your cards on motivation by itself would be a big mistake. One that seals the deal on whatever your pursuing.
If you’re serious about success, you need more than just that initial spark. You’ve got to layer it with consistency, reward yourself along the way, and, most importantly, lock it in with discipline.
Think of it like baking a cake. Eggs alone aren’t going to cut it. You need the full list of ingredients—and you need to follow every step. Success is the same. It’s not about showing up just when you feel like it; it’s about showing up, period.
The Science Behind Discipline: Key Takeaways
The ‘Science of Self-discipline’ refers to understanding and applying psychological principles to enhance personal control and achieve long-term goals.
Here are key takeaways on the concept:
Mastering Self-Control: Discipline involves managing emotions, behaviors, and thoughts to stay focused on objectives. It's crucial for overcoming procrastination and fostering effective habits.
Building Lasting Habits: Sustainable discipline requires strategies like setting clear, actionable goals, creating structured routines, and making necessary sacrifices to stay on track.
Embracing Discomfort: Discipline thrives in discomfort. By learning to handle discomfort and resisting temptations, we build resilience and mental toughness, key to staying committed to our goals.
Mental Toughness & Willpower: Strengthening willpower helps you resist distractions and push through challenging moments. It’s an essential aspect of maintaining focus on long-term outcomes.
Practical Strategies: To improve discipline, implement practical steps such as rewarding progress, creating routines, and taking proactive actions to manage distractions and stay aligned with your goals.
The Power of Micro Actions: Discipline The Easy Way
If you are one of the 20 million people that read James Clear’s Atomic Habits, you know how powerful micro actions can be.
You are the only person capable of changing your life—no one can do that for you. The easiest way to change yourself is to change the things you do each day.
― Daniel Walter, The Power of Discipline
Micro actions are are small, easy-to-do steps that move you closer to a goal. They are so manageable that they feel almost effortless, yet they create momentum and build confidence over time.
In essence, they are based on the snowball effect concept.
The concept highlights how small, consistent actions can build momentum over time, leading to significant results. To visualize it, imagine a small snowball at the top of a hill. As it rolls down, it gathers more snow, grows larger, and gains speed. What starts as something tiny becomes powerful with consistency and time.
That’s exactly what this is about. Going far enough with small changes that do not demand too much effort but continuing to implement it until it changes you.
How It Works in Real Life:
Start Small: Begin with manageable tasks or habits. For example, saving 5$ each day or dedicating 10 minutes a day to learning new vocabulary.
Build Consistently: Keep adding to your efforts. Each small action builds on the last, like a snowball gathering snow.
Leverage Momentum: Over time, your efforts compound, leading to exponential growth. What once felt small becomes impactful—and even easy.
The snowball effect thrives on two principles:
Consistency: Small actions repeated over time add up.
Compounding: Growth accelerates as past efforts amplify future results.
The key is to show up for yourself every day. Even if it’s just reading a single paragraph when you planned to read a whole chapter, what matters is consistency. Over time, these small steps add up—the compound effect is the magic at work.
What’s important is to keep going. At some point, the behavior becomes so ingrained in you that continuing feels easier than stopping. More natural. And that’s when motivation becomes an artifice: you don’t need it anymore, the habit is already here.
So start where you are. Take the first step, no matter how small, and keep moving forward. The momentum will follow sooner than you think.
Identity Shift: The Shortcut to Implement New Routines
Believe it or not, it’s easier to shift your identity as a whole than to tackle resolutions individually.
Here’s why: by focusing on your identity, you address your aspirations as a whole rather than breaking them into countless individual tasks that may feel overwhelming. For example, instead of focusing on every detail of a perfect morning routine—waking up at 6:30 am, going to the gym, getting ready, and having breakfast—you shift the focus from the actions to the outcome: becoming the person you aspire to be.
Ask yourself: How does the person I want to be look, act, and feel? Once you align with this identity, individual tasks lose their heaviness. They simply become what you do. Period, no questions asked and no room for doubt or second thoughts.
Why wouldn’t you attend your training if you identify as a soccer player? Why wouldn’t you prepare dinner if you see yourself as someone who homecooks meals? Here’s the thing, when you focus on identity, actions naturally follow.
Sharing your goals publicly can also help. It creates accountability and reinforces your identity. You’re putting out there what you know you need to do, enhancing your chances of pursuing it.
Ultimately, it’s about building a system that takes over when motivation falters. With the right identity and habits, success becomes automatic.
You’ve got this :)
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Here we are, last post of 2024. EVER. It’s been a pleasure to have you all on this journey as I decided to hop on the substack train again. I’m sincerely grateful for each and everyone of you!
Let’s build the future we envision for ourselves, one step at a time.
Wishing you clarity, focus, and success all throughout 2025. You deserve it 1000 times.
Maïssane
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For me sustainable Motivation is not linked with goals or reward as we were taught but related to purpose and passion and the activity done should recharge the energy instead of draining…