“All you need is motivation! You can do it!”

I think I've heard these exact words way too many times. But for some reason, I’ve always struggled with the idea of motivation. I used to believe that motivation was what was going to get me towards my goals.

I thought that I only needed motivation in order to get up in the morning, to go out with friends, to want to study, to be able to go to work or to just keep going. But there were some days I couldn’t get myself to do anything.

I remember speaking to a friend and asking him what he thought about my situation. He told me, “Our generation is a generation based on reasons: you need a reason to study or you need a reason to go to work. And most of the time, those reasons have no real depth. You study or work hard to succeed but one morning you’ll wake up and ask yourself, ‘Why am I even doing this anymore? There’s no point.’ We obviously need to fix our reasons, but the problem is much greater than that. At the end of the day, it is the determination we lack. Motivation is overrated and even if we had great motivation, it wouldn't get us anywhere alone.”

It was hard for me to realize that I needed more than just motivation to achieve my goals. It’s from my own true grit that determines how far I will actually go. I need to make a conscious change in my life in order to succeed.

Motivation stimulates, whereas determination is what gets you there in the end. The determination is what gets you up in the morning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Also, determined people have a lot of confidence and faith in themselves. They know and understand their self-worth, which gets them going through every challenge that comes their way. But don’t misunderstand; even though determination is what helps you meet your goal, motivation is what encourages you to begin in the first place.

If I could give advice to myself five years ago, I’d say…

“Just do it and stop making excuses for why it won’t work or figuring out a good reason not to try. At the end of the day when it comes to accomplishment, you can only rely on yourself and your perseverance. Stop thinking that you suck and that there's no reason to live your life that way you want. Stop believing that there’s always next time. You're going to need true grit to get you through your struggles. Don’t forget that motivation and determination work hand in hand. You need both. Motivation inspires you, while determination gets you there in the end. All the things I regret in life are the things I didn’t do."

Motivation is the first step, but everything after comes from your own determination and great discipline. Because without these, motivation is not reliable or consistent.