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Motivation, and Discipline. We have lots of motivation, and we keep looking for discipline.
Right now I am reading a book called “The Alchemist“. Short book to read, if you are interested. The story is about a shepherd who sets off to find his treasure; I haven’t finished it yet but I suspect that the treasure will be what he learns through the process. The treasure will not be precious stones, or gold but it will be precious and inspirational. Who does not have a dream? Something they put on hold, until they build a home, have a family, retire, or ? Don’t must of us have a dream but hesitate and talk about it, dream about it, but won’t make the decision that will start the wheels in motion to make it reality?
Discipline. – Imagine if you could buy it in pill form. Talk about popular! We have the motivation, we have the vision, but we lack the discipline.
I have portrait in my office of the first day of the Vancouver Sun Run Clinic I took part in. It is a snowstorm with all of us out standing in the snow……….hmmm; maybe that should be we were all outstanding in the snow! We were outstanding because it was the first day and we were there. It started in January and by May we had transformed into a group of excited people heading to Vancouver to do the Fun Run. The transformation in 5 months was step-by-step. For some the goal was to walk 10 K. For others it was to run the 10K distance and continue running in the future. It all started in the snowstorm, but it continued when we ran twice a week on our own, and then met with the group on Saturday mornings to do group runs or walks.
If we did the individual training, we could do the group runs without guilt and without trailing at the back of the pack. If you did not keep up the training, all you had was the motivation, the vision but lacked the discipline and soon you lost it all. I have the pictures from crossing the finish line, it was a sunny day and it had nothing to do with the weather.
Step by Step seems the answer to most dreams. It reminds me of learning. You can bet that no one learned anything in one day. You learn in “digestible” chunks, a bit at a time. Eventually if you are disciplined those steps, those digestible pieces have accumulated to a goal, to a dream.
Imagine you are on a raft. The current is strong (your motivation) and downstream is your dream. You don’t know exactly where that dream will lead you if you keep hanging on to the shore, the current is tugging at you………it wants you to achieve. Make that first step.. let go of the shore, and let the current take you. Now take the next step as you go, and keep stepping. As you go, share your steps both to inspire yourself, and to inspire others. We all need to inspire and encourage each other.
I believe that we have the motivation, and we have the discipline, if you will take the small steps along the way. If you aren’t taking steps yet, make the steps smaller still until you get started, and keep going.
I hope to report to you soon that I am following my own advice, as I am not immune from needing more discipline.
Related articles
- The Myth of Discipline (zenhabits.net)
Life and Random Thinking 