We all know how hard it is to get motivated when we know how much we hate doing something. Practicing, working out, mowing the lawn, cleaning, even getting out of bed, everything is so much hard when you just aren’t motivated. Life is a constant search for a push to get out there and get things done, so you can be the successful person you know you can be. And it’s tough. It’s really hard to find that shred of inspiration, day in and day out. Wouldn’t it be nice if inspiration just came to us all of the time? Absolutely. But you know, I’d also really like to graduate with no debt. And a giant, quiet house in the Colorado mountains with a phenomenal view for under $100,000. And while I’m at it, I want to learn how to ride dragons and move things with my mind. That’d be nice.

Friends, these things don’t exist. And neither does a steady source of motivation. It’s a fickle and fleeting friend, the kind that calls you only when it’s fun to. And when it’s not, you’re calling them over and over to no avail, trying to figure out where they’ve gone. Motivation is sketchy, unreliable, and energy-draining. While you wait for them to answer you, opportunities will pass you by and consequences will be suffered. I’m not saying motivation isn’t important, because it SO is. Motivation helped me decide to change my major when I couldn’t tell if Music Education was right for me. It’s pushed people to create the art we admire and perform and study. It’s the reason you meet people, have experiences, sometimes make the best decisions of your life. But it isn’t constant, and in no part of society does anything happen routinely and reliably through motivation.

When you see people running marathons, or giving flawless hour-long solo piano performances, or conducting open heart surgeries that take a day, they aren’t just motivated. These people don’t do amazing things on a whim, or fleeting inspiration. They’re disciplined people. Nobody wants to run multiple miles a day for months, or spend copious years and money on studying and testing, or slave over a piano for hours on end. Nobody is passionate about the hard work. They’re passionate about creating a result they can be proud of, and seeing what the work has done for them and others. They value this over free time, over energy over peace of mind. That’s discipline.

Without discipline, nothing happens. Nobody improves, nobody succeeds, nobody is happy with their life. Without discipline, all we have is regret. Force yourself to work towards what you really want. And if it doesn’t seem worth it, then maybe it isn’t what you want, which is perfectly fine to admit. Work towards the future and the result that you desire, towards what motivates you. Have discipline, and stop living with regret. It took me long enough to learn that. But now that I have, I’ve only changed for the better.