“Everything is more difficult for me.”
“In the first few days, I manage, but then I lose focus and become unmotivated.”
“I work a lot, I don’t have time!”
“I’ll start on Monday!”
These are very common phrases to hear around. People want to be more productive, organized and focused on their goals, but when they arrive at a certain moment they end up getting lost, discouraged or even giving up. This is what we call limiting beliefs: the thoughts that prevent us from acting and getting a positive result.
According to author and coach Anthony Robbins, in the book Unlimited Power:
“the birth of excellence begins with our awareness that our beliefs are a choice. We usually don’t think of it that way, but belief can be a conscious choice. You can choose beliefs that limit you, or you can choose beliefs that support you. The trick is to choose the beliefs that are conducive to success and the results you want and to discard the ones that hold you back.”
This can happen in countless situations, such as a new project at work, starting a diet, saving money, etc. The examples are endless. It is possible that those of you reading this article may have even identified with some of them at some point in life. Do you know why??? BECAUSE IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE!
It’s extremely normal to lose motivation and focus. But that being said, what makes people organized, focused and motivated? They don’t give up. Despite their lack of motivation, they build discipline, which is what makes them consistent.
Habit, persistence, consistency and focus, that is the big secret!
Motivation is the lever, it is what makes us start pursuing what we want. It is what drives us from the beginning to plan, organize and act. But it alone does not work. Do you know why? Because right after the moment of ecstasy, our routine comes and along with it difficulties, dilemmas, and chores. That is why discouragement happens.
Therefore, we need discipline to fulfill all tasks and thus, create the habit to follow the desired path, whatever the goal.
How to deal with it?
First, we need to know clearly where we want to go. That way, you have an end goal, a reason, and you will keep that in mind.
For example, as an amateur runner, I need to keep my training steady, and I don’t always wake up motivated to stick to it, but a tactic I always use is visualization. First of all, I remember why I’m doing that activity. Then, I remember why I couldn’t get through the training, and that’s when my visualization, my finish line, comes in. The “finish line” is a metaphor used in the world of running, in which we visualize the moment when we complete our final goal, in this case, that longed-for event, and we realize that it will only be possible with effort, focus, consistency and persistence.
Planning is essential for things to go as expected
E.g. the goal is to keep a healthier diet. Okay, now what do I need to do to make this happen?
- Keep in mind why you want a change;
- Plan meals in advance and not have food at home that will sabotage your final goal;
- Discipline in keeping this pattern of eating until you create the habit of eating that way.
With that, you can see what you really need to get there. Step by step.
How to have discipline without strictly defining everything you are going to do in your day? It may seem too rigid and boring, however it is just a matter of planning and organizing, in which you will benefit the most. After all, you already know everything you will do, so just distribute your tasks by the hours of the day ahead.
If you are looking for how to be more disciplined, you are certainly committed to improving. A planned routine creates a direction for this!
Still about the hours of the day, time is a “treasure” for those who want to be more disciplined. The better you manage, the more you will be able to meet your demands. Your goals depend directly on investment of time, and to make the best use of it, you need to know how to manage it wisely.
Reward yourself
From the moment you complete each step, it’s important for you to reward yourself. Show yourself that you are making progress and you deserve it. The reward can be a dinner or binge-watch a series, for example, or whatever you want and that will bring you that feeling of worthiness.
Don’t try to make quantum leaps
Always stay focused on the tasks of the next stage, achieve small goals along the way, and don’t try to take a quantum leap towards the final goal. The ultimate goal is the result of several small actions, and doing something different would be practically “shooting yourself in the foot”. Those who take it step by step will materialize the final goal. Make things easier to do so that it becomes increasingly difficult to stop doing so.
Have self control
It is normal for problems and difficulties to arise along the way. The question is how you will deal with these issues without your end goal being affected. Have self control. You can often be a “problem” to yourself. Learn to say no to yourself. You are the one in charge of your mind. Understand that in the short term, many times something can even seem tempting and interesting, but in the long run, it is just a self-sabotaging attitude which will harm you. And saying NO today, is saying YES to your goal at the end. Furthermore, these small attitudes end up making us more resilient and stronger.
Mindset change
Don’t just focus on adversities, they are part of our learning process. Stop wanting everything to be easy and think positive things. Otherwise, motivation and focus will not be maintained, staying in the comfort zone and victimizing yourself will not get you anywhere.
Keep in mind that everything new is uncomfortable, challenging, and that things will not always be favorable, but what matters is that you have self-control and follow through. And discipline is just that, not being in the perfect moment, not being 100% motivated, but understanding that when you have a big goal, you have to do it even if you don’t want to.
Don’t just wait for motivation, motivation comes and goes, if you’ve made a commitment to your goals, you know what to do. Start! Be disciplined and create these habits, they will make all the difference in your achievements. Good luck!
“A life without challenges is not worth living.”
Socrates
