Ryan’s Journal: Is Discipline Better than Motivation?
by Ryan Pew
I am a former Marine, I served five years and learned a lot while in. Marines tend to have some quirks and one of those quirks is the idea of motivation.
If a Marine is said to be motivated it means they are professional, diligent and an all around squared away Marine. To not be motivated basically means you are a poor performer or worse.
One takeaway from this experience was that the idea of motivation was skewed for me for a while.
In the civilian world I have never once heard one person call another motivated. However I have heard people say that someone is disciplined or that they have a strong work ethic. And maybe that’s what the Marines meant, discipline and motivation were really one and the same.
So that takes me back to my question. Is it better to be disciplined or motivated?
Getting up early for a run typically sucks; I don’t know many that want to leave the comfort of their warm bed to go for a run or to the gym. What gets them up? Rarely motivation, it’s usually discipline.
Working toward a task at work can be tedious. Discipline will get you to the finish line, while motivation can be that spark that gets an idea flowing.
Perhaps it’s motivation that tells you to get up early and discipline carries you through.
I’ll be honest. I lack discipline. It’s a constant struggle for me and something I strive to achieve. Since it’s an area of opportunity I tend to dwell on it.
It has slowly become apparent to me that motivation and discipline are not mutually exclusive. They are compatible.
So, as you go through your day tomorrow consider what is driving you?
Is it motivation or discipline or all of the above?
Image credit: Pati Morris
