The Huddle
Calgary, AB. – January 6, 2021
Last week’s entry of The Huddle, and the final entry of 2020 emphasized the importance of building habits to coincide with our goals. During the process of setting goals, it is important to determine the goal we are looking to achieve, the steps necessary to reach that desired goal, and the crucial habits required to move forward through each step.
As we have turned the corner into 2021, and a fresh start is upon us; we’ve established new goals, important steps required to execute objectives, and necessary habits required to achieve each task. As we attempt to kick off the first month strong, feeling vibrant and encouraged on this newly established path, we feel optimistic on the year ahead and excited to see a new transformation.
The first month or two can be exciting with new objectives fresh in our mind, but as we progress into the year, we may find ourselves lacking motivation. It may be hard to get out of bed in the morning to tackle that 6:00 am workout or stick with that extra hour of studying after school each day. Motivation will only take us so far on our path. It is important to have discipline in our execution in order to maintain the course and reach our desired objectives.
Motivation is a crucial tool in the initial phase of building habits. It can be like jet fuel, propelling us forward and giving us a kick-start towards accomplishment. But like jet fuel, motivation burns hot and fast. Where motivation loses steam, discipline can and will pull the reins to help us accomplish tasks.
It can be challenging to maintain discipline in every single area of the goal setting process. Having a broad scope can result in a negative impact as we may become overwhelmed and exhausted. The best thing to do is to narrow our vision and focus on one important habit with hard work and discipline.
Which habit needs the most discipline and attention? Where should we put forth the most effort? The answer: focus on the habit that will have the most significant impact on our overall goal, and stay disciplined to the execution. In other words, focus on the habit that will cause a ripple effect for other areas. Discipline is much more significant than motivation. If motivation is the catalyst required to initiate the motion towards accomplishing a goal, discipline will help us stay on the path in the long run.
Taking action and staying disciplined day to day can be challenging, but when we focus our attention to specific areas, discipline becomes a powerful ally. Narrow the vision in the pursuit of discipline. Focus on one thing, that one element of your daily routine, that if it were not executed, all the others (especially the goal) would be impacted.
When we fail to achieve goals, it’s not due to a lack of motivation. It’s due to a lack of discipline. Bridge the gap between goal setting and accomplishment. Find the discipline, and focus it towards that one thing.
