Let’s first define motivation. Motivation is the action or deed a person takes willingly, in line with their specific dreams, goals, or desires. The purpose of motivation is to initiate action. In other words, the more we desire to reach our goal, the more motivated we become. Physiological and/or psychological imbalances in an individual can lead to deficiencies and needs. These needs determine our goals, the places we want to reach, and we use motivation for our goal-oriented behaviors.
A common motivational example for most of us is: “Believe in yourself.”
I think it’s a very accurate saying. If we don’t believe in ourselves, if we don’t trust ourselves, we can’t be motivated in the first place. We are the only person who can extend the best helping hand and understand us the best. Therefore, we must trust ourselves to be motivated. Motivation helps us move forward, increases our hunger for better. Not only in our work and educational life but also in our daily life. For instance, we get motivated to exercise for a better life and health, read books for a better mental state, or spend time with our loved ones. In other words, we get motivated to take action in line with the desire of our goal. If we do something without motivation, it’s possible to just be in a state of monotony, filled with negative energy, or even fall into depression.
We need to answer questions like “Why am I doing this?”, “What for?”, “Do I want this?” to ourselves. Sometimes we don’t have all the answers, but over time our motivation reveals itself and our purpose becomes clear.
However, there is a situation where sometimes we act without motivation or we have to, because our lives are not as rosy as they are in movies or books.
Motivation is necessary, but is it being exaggerated? After all, we don’t always think positively and live in a world where butterflies flutter in lush greenery. For example, yes, we started our education to be able to practice the profession we study one day. That is, we study to work. Let’s say there is a subject. We neither like this subject nor does it interest us. I don’t think we have any other motivation to open that book or lecture notes. We just want to pass the class, the course. There might be a small indirect motivation, but it’s usually not enough. We study with tears, hoping not to fail, writing reports, doing assignments, and projects until dawn. Maybe just for a teacher or a director to “glance over” a work without even sparing 10 minutes. And we do these unwillingly.
I think it’s discipline that makes us do these, not motivation. I believe discipline determines how far we can go. The dreams we had at the ages of 5–10 are not the same as today’s because they are not enough. The motivations we acquired for ourselves at a young age may no longer be valid and may not bring us to where we want to be. It’s not motivation but discipline that gets us out of bed at the crack of dawn and takes us to work in freezing weather. Motivation is momentary, but discipline is for life. It’s a way of life. Motivation is not reliable, discipline is. Motivation may be the initial spark, but without discipline following, we cannot reach the goal. There are no emotions in discipline, and it is not easily influenced. Whereas motivation is fickle! Today we want to be a singer, tomorrow to split the atom; always an enthusiasm.
If we wait for motivation to do something, the result is usually sentences like “I’ll do it tomorrow.”, “I’ll start the diet on Monday.” But what about discipline? You will go to that gym every day, it’s settled. The foundation of discipline is based on determination, certainty, and continuity. If we try to regulate our personality and desires instead of looking for enthusiasm, I’m sure we will achieve success. I believe most success comes from discipline.
Which is More Important: Motivation or Discipline?
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