You Will Never Always Be Motivated
But that's ok, there's still a way. And that way is to learn to be disciplined.
When my daughter called me daddy for the first time, I felt this indescribable joy. As I went down on my knees and lifted her into the air, I was overwhelmed with happiness. Looking at her beautiful face and hearing her melodious bursts of laughter, I knew that was a moment I want to always remember. When things become difficult or when I'm faced with tough challenges, I will always go back to that moment, and without fail, my spirit will be lifted and the smile will return to my face. This is one of my happy places. I cherish it, I guard it, and I carry it with me always.
But long before she called me daddy, I had made up my mind on the kind of father I wanted to be. With the support of my amazing wife, I do whatever it takes to be present, to be loving, to be caring. To give her a childhood she will remember. To set her on the right path to being her own person, a woman of substance and character. I invest my energy in her physical, emotional, intellectual growth and development. From the moment I wake up, I do my very best to be the worthy first man in her life. This is my first job; this is the most important job in my life. Even though I'm not half as good as my wife in this job of being a parent, I feel lucky and blessed to be called a father, to have this opportunity to raise a wonderful girl. I feel absolutely rewarded by my daughter's incredible development. Every little accomplishment, every major milestone always motivates me to keep putting in my best.
They all motivate me to keep going.
These days I feel like I know a thing or two about motivation. As James Clear puts it "motivation is a powerful yet tricky beast. Sometimes it is really easy to get motivated, and you find yourself wrapped up in a whirlwind of excitement. Other times, it is nearly impossible to figure out how to motivate yourself, and you're trapped in a death spiral of procrastination." To be the father I want to be, I cannot rely solely on motivation, for fatherhood is a long, hard road that requires more than a few short-lived sparks of excitement. To be successful at the most important job of my life, I have to find a way to navigate those moments when I feel uninspired, tired and lazy. So today my friend, I want to share this with you: you will never always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined. It doesn't matter if it's in your professional, family, social or spiritual life, discipline is that bridge that connects where you are now and where you want to be tomorrow. A disciplined you will rise again after each fall. A disciplined you will remain on the battleground fighting for your dreams. Under the scorching sun or the pouring rain, in the biting cold or along the dusty, narrow, jagged mountain trail, a disciplined you will continue to walk towards your goals one step at a time, no matter how painful or long the journey.
We all have dreams and aspirations. And we all have shortcomings. Many times ours shortcomings will stand in the way of our success. Discipline offers us the opportunity to push through these obstacles and continue our onward march towards our goals. We might be temporarily slowed down, we might be momentarily distracted, but we will never stop until we realize our ambitions and live our dreams.
I love my daughter a lot and I want to be the best for her. I know I will never always be motivated to do the things I need to do, so I'm learning to be disciplined.
PS: That's a real picture of my daughter on her first birthday. I'm so blessed to see that smile everyday.
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