Motivation is something that drives you to do something.

Synonyms: incentive, inspiration, impulse

Discipline is the practice of enforcing habit and patterned behavior

Synonyms: control, regimen, drill

Motivation

Motivation is an essential tool we use every day to drive ourselves to get work done. Things like a promotion or a bonus for reaching quota provide you with incentives to put in the work. There is nothing wrong with motivation; it inspires us to think creatively to come up with solutions to difficult problems or get through the tedious work. 

Motivation uses the part of your brain that serves as our emotional center, which means that it causes us to think in terms of “want/don’t want” or “like/dislike”. Motivation is a short-term and fleeting solution to getting work done (when we switch from “want to do” to “don’t want to do”).   

Discipline

Discipline is a tool you can use at all times, but it is especially valuable when motivation runs out. It’s always there in the background, forcing you to push through when you lack motivation. Having regular habits or a base regimen you can follow when you are struggling to find motivation can help you get the work done even when your brain is telling you to skip it. 

Discipline uses the part of your brain that controls rational thinking and logic, and keeps you aware of any long-term consequences. Even when you don’t feel like doing something, discipline is what kicks you into gear to act. It can be as simple as the organization of your day or your space. For example, motivation can make you eager to respond to an email that can result in the closing of a deal. 

Have Both!

None of this is to say that motivation is a bad thing and that you have to be disciplined 24/7. Discipline keeps you going when you’re struggling to stay motivated, but motivation is the emotional reasoning for getting things done. It’s not great to be in a headspace where you don’t want to get things done all the time. 

Employees work 20% better when motivated and motivated employees realize a 27% higher profit. When motivation runs out, the only way to keep up numbers like these is by implementing discipline. Motivation is the first step to provide you with the boost to get your drive and creativity going and discipline is the machinery that keeps the train going when you run out of drive. The two go hand-in-hand, are two sides of the same coin, insert other metaphor. 

Burnout

If you don’t balance both motivation and discipline, you might start to suffer from burnout. Make sure you’re not solely relying on discipline to get things done; utilize motivation when it strikes. If you’re struggling to balance the two, find things that motivate you. Maybe you can’t find any motivation; reach out to your manager to see what you can do to avoid burnout. Think about other methods of relieving stress and improving your well-being, like a mindfulness podcast/app. Change your perspective to find new sources of motivation and don’t be too hard on yourself.