The Impacts of External vs. Internal Values on Motivation.

Discipline is not a habit or willpower. Habits are auto-pilot/ automatic reactive behaviors whether mental or physical. Habits are what feels “easy” and automatic after a while. Willpower is the ability to notice internal conflict and continue despite the conflict.

Discipline comes from internal forces, not external pressure. Discipline is an emotion. Doubt, or a wavering mind, is the opposite of discipline. The mind will waver and have more doubts if the motivator is external pressure (“Shoulds” are external pressure. “I should do this” rather than being rooted in an internal value. Identifying your values is one way to develop the resolve needed to be disciplined. Wanting something enough to overcome the pain of doing tasks that have no immediate gratification comes from internal values and not external pressure.

NOTE: Because discipline is an emotion, numbing emotions (even if it’s done subconsciously without awareness of that being what you are doing) will sabotage the ability to feel the emotions that lead to being capable of having discipline. Being numb will feel like being “grey” or “empty” or lacking any emotion and having apathy. Technology numbs emotion.

Reflection Questions:

• Is this task an “I should do” this? Do you want to change?
• Do you want to want to change? Is the something tied to any of the shoulds that you can want as well or feel resolve for?
• Do you know what resolve feels like in the body?

Practice activity for awareness of resolve:

• Pick something not important to start with that requires minimal willpower and creates only small amounts of conflict to do. Resolve is feeling determined, and wavering breaks resolve.
• Jot down what wavering feels like and its impact on you. Focus on awareness of what resolve feels like in your body and its interactions with willpower or motivation.