"No cuentes con la motivación. Cuenta con la disciplina."
— Jocko Willink
Simplified Meaning:
Relying on feeling motivated can be unreliable because emotions and feelings can change from day to day. Instead, building habits and routines through discipline ensures that you keep making progress, even when you don't feel particularly motivated. For example, imagine someone who wants to get fit. If they only exercise when they feel excited about it, they might not work out very often. But if they make a plan to exercise every morning, rain or shine, they will see results because they stick to their routine no matter how they feel. Discipline is like creating helpful habits. When students study a little every day instead of only when they feel like it, they learn better and get good grades over time. Similarly, in history, successful people often kept working towards their goals consistently, even when it was tough, which led to their success. By focusing on discipline, anyone can achieve more because it keeps you moving forward steadily, rather than in fits and starts based on fleeting feelings.