How often do we sit around and wait for this optimal state of mind that we call motivation before we attempt to complete our goals?
On the Modern Wisdom podcast, Chris Williamson makes the point that motivation might not be all that it is made up to be.
No matter how motivated you feel, if you end up not completing the task, then it was not motivation to begin with. On the other hand, if you did not feel motivated, yet you completed the task, then it was motivation after all.
"That's why i prefer discipline to motivation. Motivation is fleeting - it comes and goes, discipline is always there. You don't need to want to go to the gym, meditate, walk the dog or have a difficult conversation with your partner; you simply need to do the thing. By doing the thing, you shortcut the need for motivation entirely."
- Jocko Willink