Discipline beats motivation

So today (Saturday 25th July) loads of gyms throughout the country are going to open for the first time in 4 months and a lot of people are going to be motivated to lose the weight they have put on during the Lockdown. Now this is no different to your usual January really, lots of people are motivated by then but we all know, especially the regular gym people that a large percentage of these people will have stopped by February/March.

The reason it’s based on motivation, it’s easy to start anything when you are motivated, the thing they lack is the discipline to go the gym when they don’t want to and that’s why they fail.

As a Personal Trainer I don’t always want to train, anyone who tells you that they never struggle to find the motivation to train is lying its human nature. However I know week in week out I will exercise 7 days a week, 5 gym sessions and 2 yoga sessions, as well as a dog walk every day. These for me are non-negotiable, Yesterday I had 10 clients, programmes to write, basically a busy day but I don’t care I train on Fridays - so I will. Will I want to, in all honesty probably not as I will want to chill but I will do it.

That’s the difference, when motivated you want to do it, when disciplined you do it no matter how you feel.

Every professional athlete will have a huge amount of discipline, every successful businessman and woman will have discipline.

Having the ability to get stuff done even when you don’t want to is what separates achieving something from wanting something.

This mind-set is absolutely key to me.