Have you ever had the desire to accomplish something or take on a new behavior only to find with great frustration and embarrassment that within days you had lapsed back into your former (flawed) patterns?
Alas, human nature! It seems we can have all the desire in the world to live large, love unconditionally, be a paragon of healthy living, and a top performer at work, but unfortunately, desire doesn’t take us there. Sometimes it barely gets us out of bed, despite our best intentions. If desire were the secret, we’d all be happier, healthier, and horribly rich.
So maybe we just need to be motivated to achieve what we want, right? You’re motivated, aren’t you? After all, motivation is first cousin to desire: if you passionately want something, it makes sense that you’ll be motivated to work toward it.
Then why aren’t we living those wonderful lives we dream about, becoming the perfect people we wish we were—why aren’t we all thin, healthy, wealthy, and wise?
What’s missing? What is it besides desire and motivation that helps us stay on the road to what we consider success? Well, there is a missing ingredient. It’s called discipline.
We can want and wish and dream, but until we take action (and sustain it), we won’t get very far. Think of desire as a vehicle, capable of movement (and even speed), but it can’t do much by itself except look cool.
Motivation is the engine. It’s the force that drives the vehicle, but it too, isn’t enough. You need fuel before you can go anywhere. Discipline is the fuel that runs the engine that propels the vehicle. The first two components can’t do much without the third.
If you have fallen short of the goals you’ve set, desire and motivation may not be your problem. Check out your discipline. Do you make a firm commitment to do what needs to be done—and then do it consistently—or do you instead let your engine idle, or worse, let your vehicle veer off the road?
The problem with desire is that it’s only part of achieving what you want. Combine your desire with fervent motivation, but then make sure you add the fuel. Keep your tank full, despite the potholes and detours along the way, and you have a much better chance of arriving at your desired destination.
Simple Action: Desire and motivation are constants. Discipline is a commitment. It’s the daily choice you make to engage in the habits that help you achieve your goals.
