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MOTIVATION AND DISCIPLINE AND WHY MAKING PROGRESS IS A FINE BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO
What do we mean? Well it’s quite simple. Motivation and discipline are great ways to keep you focused throughout your training, however what do you do when you just don’t feel ‘up to it’? or perhaps you had a couple of shandys the night before and don’t really ‘feel like it’?
What’s the difference between you and the people who are out there doing the work and progressing… err..discipline!
When motivation fails us, it is discipline that makes the difference between good athletes and great athletes. Ever heard the phrase: ‘Hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work hard?’ It really is true. You can be the best runner in the world and have the best dog in the word, but you will always be beaten by someone who works harder than you if you refuse to put the work in yourself.
Have you ever participated in an event and felt annoyed at your outcome, being honest and saying that you could have done better, or that you have in the past? – That’s probably because of your lack of training and a few times where you have allowed your motivation to wane and ignored that little voice inside your head.
Enter – DISCIPLINE…
Discipline is the difference between doing the work and not. It can be so easy at the end of a long week to set the alarm with great intentions and then completely ignore it when it beeps away. The bed is warm, you are relaxed, the dogs are snoring and it doesn’t matter, you’ve not got a race or anything coming up..but this is where you really do need to stay focused.
Discipline is that nagging voce that tells you that you should go and train, that you should clean that room or that you should not buy those shoes because you are saving….
Discipline can be your best friend if you learn to embrace it.
So how does it work?
Self-discipline is about making yourself get up and get out there. It is about not finding an excuse… You need to make yourself go and do something, and I’ll tell you something..you’ll feel great about it when you’ve done it!
You can do several things to help you become disciplined.
1 – Set an alarm – that you need to get up to switch off – try putting this next to your running stuff as a visual reminder.
2 – Tell someone you are getting up to train – or that you are going to train somewhere and get them to ask you afterwards
3 – Get an accountability coach, or use your own coach to be your reminder… as them to message you and ask about your session
4 – Agree to meet a friend – someone you know won’t let you down – that way if you feel a little off, you’ll be less inclined to let them down
5 – Write out a goal and stick it on your bathroom mirror – that way when you get up – you look right at it!
6 – Book a race!
Having discipline is a real bonus, but it isn’t to say that you can’t have the odd off day. Just remember to balance things out. Try not to over indulge on rest days and remember to stay true to your goal, whether that be a distance, a time, or a combination of both.
So next time you hear that little nagging voice in your head saying ‘you said you’d go out’ just get up and go… you’ll feel so much better for it. Once you’ve done it a few times, you’ll find it easier to keep going.
Dog training and human training require consistency. Consistency requires discipline and motivation, so when motivation fails, discipline is your back up! Your wing man, the Goose to your Maverick! So next time that alarm goes off, get out there and feel the need, the need for speed!