The gap between who you are and who you want to be is discipline

THE gap between who you are and who you want to be is discipline. Most people believe the gap is motivation, or perhaps intellect, luck or confidence. But what do you do on the days that your feelings take over? Those lame excuses that feel intelligent but change nothing.

"I don’t feel like working out."

"I don’t feel like tackling that hard assignment or calling those sales leads.”

The real distance is created by what you do when no one is watching. Those small daily habits that earn compound interest and eventually add up. What most people need is not motivation, but a system of daily habits that ensure success and excellence in their lives. After all people don’t look like their goals. They look like their habits.

Overweight and unfit? Look at your habits around food choices and exercise. Lacking in finances? A large bank account is usually built by the habit of investing and saving. Poor relationships? Strong connections with our loved ones are usually built on the habit of checking in, regular communication and engagement. Stagnation in personal growth? A knowledgeable person has the habit of reading daily, while a stagnation is the result of not reading.

Discipline is choosing the future you want over the feelings you have.

Thomas Edison famously said “I have not failed; I have just found a thousand ways that the lightbulb wont work”. His relentless discipline daily, weekly, monthly in chipping away at the problem of darkness eventually cracked the solution that changed the world forever. What would have happened if he quit at try 999? Discipline will take you places motivation can’t. Discipline will fix 80% of your problems. When motivation runs low, discipline takes over. Discipline looks boring, until you see what it builds.

From the outside it looks repetitive, quiet and unimpressive. No excitement, no applause. Just consistency. Like Edison. But over time it builds strength, clarity, confidence and freedom. It contours your mind, and conditions your soul. What looks boring today becomes the foundation that people envy tomorrow. Consistency brings action, and action breeds progress and success. And sticking to the plan requires a tough as nails mindset.

Most people don’t get results because they have a weak mindset. This may be a bitter pill to swallow, but maybe you’re not getting the results you want because you quit easily or you neglect to put in the work? You get out what you put in. Your mood is not a strategy. Do the work. It all starts with mindset. Winners win – not because of luck or because they are stronger or smarter but because of their mentality. 

Your mindset shapes your reality. It’s the difference between a good day and a bad day. The difference between "I can” and "I can't”.

Your mind can be your most powerful weapon or your own worst enemy. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life starts to change. To shift your life you need to shift your mindset. Every day you actively make the choice with your thoughts, habits and behaviours about the direction in which you want your life to head. Aim high. The thoughts you entertain, the habits you build and the actions you take are all casting votes for the person that you are becoming.

If your dreams are big, your mindset must be bigger. Every day is another opportunity to realign with your goals, to discipline your mind and to focus your energy on becoming the best possible version of yourself. Success doesn’t come overnight. It comes from consistent, intentional effort. Aim high. Stay committed. Don’t let temporary setbacks make you forget the power you hold in every decision.

You can have actions or excuses, but you can’t have both. If you want results you must show up. When its hard. When its inconvenient. When you’d rather not. Your mindset is your strongest muscle. When you train it, your actions follow. The right mindset doesn’t just change you; it changes your entire world. Focus brings discipline. Discipline creates habits. Habits drive consistency. Consistency brings results. And that’s how you close the gap between who you are and who you want to be.

Shareez Bagaria is a Comensa-certified life coach and an EQ coach. She has a Bachelor’s degree in industrial psychology, and is dedicated to personal development and coaching.

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