Edition 56 - Motivation vs Discipline

Hey my fintech fam of positivers, my OGs of optimism, my ... cultivaters of culture... my... yeh I'm going to work on that.

Goodnesss. I'm in a flow of these now. Look at them hitting your mailbox everyweek with something I have on my mind.

Eihter lucky you, or I'm sorry for pestering you, like a love sick teenager with my chains of consciousness. Thank goodness for Grammarly is all I can say!

This is one that came up last week when I got into a converastion with folks about motivation.

I love a bit of good motivation porn. Something inspiring, something that makes you want to stand up and get something done. Like right now.

But what happens when that feeling goes away? When you remember the quote but can't be arsed anymore? More quotes? Nope. Disipline.

Motivation vs Discipline; urm what?

This is the the real difference between “I had an idea once” and “I built a fing empire.”

Motivation feels amazing, doesn’t it?

That hit of “I’m gonna change the game.”

That surge of “this time is different.”

That shot of energy after a podcast or a gym session or one-too-many coffees.

We’ve all had it.

And we’ve all lost it.

Usually by Wednesday.

Frigging Wednesdays.

Let me break this down plain and simple.

Motivation gets you started.

Discipline gets you finished.

The spark is easy. The engine is everything.

I was working with a founder a while back. Day one, guy came in flying.

“I’ve got the next big thing. We’re gonna disrupt this, reimagine that, build a unicorn in 18 months.”

Buzzing.

By month four?

Tech’s not working.

Co-founder’s MIA.

Regulator wants documents he’s never heard of.

Investors have ghosted.

Buzz gone.

That’s the game though.

Motivation got him to the pitch.

Discipline’s the thing that gets him to Series A.

Motivation is noisy. Discipline is boring.

Motivation’s the gym selfie.

Discipline’s showing up when no one’s watching.

Motivation’s starting a newsletter.

Discipline is hitting send when only 3 people read the last one and one of them is your mum.

Motivation is emotion.

Discipline is decision.

And in a world that worships quick wins and 30-second hacks, discipline just keeps doing the f***ing work.

OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

Stop chasing hype. Build rhythm.

You know what? I’m sick of people waiting for “inspiration” to strike.

Like they’re gonna stumble on a TED Talk and suddenly become Steve Jobs.

Nah.

You want to build something that matters?

You want to make a dent?

Then stop looking for the lightning bolt and start building the storm.

That means:

• Doing the reps even when no one claps.
• Shipping when you’re not sure it’s perfect.
• Saying “yes” to the work when your head says “nah, let’s skip today.”

You don’t need to feel like it.

You just need to be the kind of person who does it anyway.

Discipline is your identity.

You don’t build legacy by riding waves of excitement.

You build it by pouring concrete when it’s raining.

Every founder, every builder, every athlete at the top of their game…

they’ve made discipline part of who they are.

They don’t rely on vibes.

They rely on habits.

They don’t get up to be motivated.

They get up because that’s who they f*ing are now.

Want to win? Stop waiting to want it.

Motivation’s cool.

Use it when it shows up.

Help others see it.

But don’t build your business, your career, or your future on it.

Build it on rhythm.

Build it on consistency.

Build it on turning up when no one else does.

That’s the bit that separates the LinkedIn wannabes from the ones who actually build the next Monzo, the next Stripe, the next 11:FS.

💥

Get up. Show up. Build sht.*

Even when you don’t feel like it.

Especially when you don’t.

Repeat.

You win.