However, motivation gives you a short-term spark for where you want to head, but it doesn’t give you the long-term willpower to apply it consistently, through good and bad times – this is why so many people will give up a diet as soon as the slightest thing goes wrong.

In my opinion, the key to success is discipline. This is the ability to consistently apply yourself even when you cannot be bothered and have no motivation to give you the willpower to do it.

So how do you develop discipline?

Discipline is built slowly and steadily – it is a habit.

Set yourself a small action which will help get you to your goal – this may be one set of pushups or eating an apple for example.

This goal should be so easy that it would be frankly embarrassing if you didn’t do – who can’t eat a goddamn apple a day!?

Now, this task should be achieved every single day no matter what. I don’t care if you have been out all day, are hungover, or got laid. I don’t care. Do it.

Every time you make a positive decision in a time of weakness you develop your character. It will stop making you a quitter and start making you a legend who achieves.

Slowly these patterns get wired into your brain so they don’t even take willpower anymore – I just write an article a day now. I just do it. Sometimes I want to, sometimes I don’t. Regardless I do it because I know that’s what I need to do to get to where my motivate self inspires me to be.

Motivation sets the direction you want to go. Your discipline walks the path.

Success is a habit – start rewiring your brain to be a legend, and not a little bitch.

-Mike