Discipline comes in handy when you’ve got goals and tasks and stuff to accomplish. It helps fill in the gap when you don’t really feel like getting it done. I know inspiration is valuable and it certainly has its place. But for me, it cannot take the place of good, old-fashioned discipline.
I got to thinking about this topic as I researched other life coaches online. There was a lady who seemed quite nice and she had some videos to watch. In the one I watched, she explained how she only does her video blogs when she feels inspired. She felt really good about it, too, which I found interesting. I wondered how frequently we would post our blogs if we waited until we felt “inspired.”
We have been posting useful information on how to make your life matter every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning for almost two years. That takes discipline. There have been many times where I didn’t feel inspired, but my blog was still due in the morning. So I wrote anyway.
When I feel inspired, I write down the idea in a running list of potential blog topics. I guess that’s where inspiration meets discipline. I just pull from that list when it’s time to write.
I’ve heard similar things from many other authors. Completing a book always takes discipline. The kind of discipline where you carve out a certain number of hours each day and do it whether you feel like it or not.
I know there seems to be something magical about feeling inspired. However, it often lacks the power to get us across the finish line. Even worse, waiting for inspiration can easily keep us from even getting started.
Are you waiting until you feel inspired to get started on something important? Maybe you should plug in to some hearty discipline instead. I’m betting you will get a lot more accomplished. I know I do.
