Built by Discipline

Strength Created One Choice at a Time

By: Tim Ellis

Narrated by: Nicholas Dean Taylor

People often talk about motivation as the main reason for success, productivity, and self-improvement. A lot of self-help books, social media, and motivational speakers say that feeling inspired is the most important thing you can do to attain your goals. Motivation can be strong, but it isn't always reliable. Discipline, on the other hand, is steady, reliable, and more successful in the long run.

The principle of “discipline over motivation” highlights the idea that long-term success is built not on fleeting feelings of inspiration but on steady habits, self-control, and commitment. Motivation is based on feelings. It occurs in waves, with some being very strong and others not at all. After watching an inspiring video, making a New Year's resolution, or having a moment of clarity, a person may feel very driven. But this feeling typically goes away when things are hard, when development is delayed, or when jobs get uninteresting or hard.

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