Motivated And Disciplined.

This has been the hallmark of my life for the past 10 years. It’s a simple phrase that I have lived by and, as a result, has guided my actions and habits. I’ve used this phrase in my songs as a rapper, and in my content as a speaker, I even got it tattooed on my arm (as you can see in the featured image above).

I’ve adopted this identity completely.

This single phrase started as a mantra, then grew into a personal philosophy, and has now become an all-encompassing way of life. And it all started with an unsuspecting story 10 years ago when I was 23 years old.

How I Became Motivated And Disciplined

In 2014, my primary ambition was to become a rapper.

If you know my story or follow my blog for any length of time, you’ll know that was the main motivator in my life for many years. And in September 2014, I released a new CD (back when those were still a thing).

The accomplishment of that goal inspired and fueled the ambition of another goal…

1,000 Copies

“You can have anything you want in life if you’re willing to go through 1,000 ‘no’s to get it.”

~ Rich Litvin

I decided to hit the streets and hand out 1,000 copies of my new CD.

Why? I wanted to get my name out there and build my reputation as a rapper, and this felt like the best way to do it—grassroots style. So, I enlisted the help of my brother to shoot my album cover.

From there, I locked in on the mission…

I printed out the covers, bought dozens and dozens of blank CDs from Best Buy, burned my album onto those CDs, and manually cut out and placed the covers within the CD cases. This process was incredibly tedious and time-consuming.

But I was dedicated.

Then, I started approaching people wherever I ran into them: Train stations, parking lots, malls, or even randomly on the street (no one was safe). I would often even do a performance demonstration for people as well. This journey was documented in a music video I released 10 years ago called Rise & Grind.

Interestingly enough, it’s my most popular video to date.

7 Long Months

“Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements.”

– John Maxwell

I was working in construction at the time.

Every morning, I woke up extra early, packed a bunch of CDs into my bag, and hit the streets to hand them out to random people before arriving at work for my 7 am shift. It took me 7 long months of hitting the streets almost every day to reach 1,000 copies.

I started this goal on Sept 14, 2014, and completed it on March 29, 2015.

I even kept track of my progress daily. Whenever I returned home from handing out CDs, I would report to a notebook I had, and write the date as well as the number of copies I handed out on that particular day.

See for yourself:

What I Received From Handing Out 1,000 Copies

“Goal setting is not about what you get; it’s about who you become.”

~ Jim Rohn

You may wonder what I got out of this goal.

After all, it was 7 months of consistent effort, hundreds of dollars in blank CD costs, countless hours of burning my music onto those CDs and manually assembling the covers, and more rejections than I can count. So, what did I get from all of this exactly?

The answer might surprise you: Nothing…

At least nothing in terms of a tangible reward. There was no trophy or prize medal. Nobody clapped for me or even knew about what I had done. It was a silent victory. But there was one thing I got that is worth infinitely more than any external reward or validation.

And that was the identity of a self-disciplined man.

Nothing is more important in this world than what you think and believe about yourself. This goal molded my self-concept. I now saw myself as someone who had follow-through, commitment, and an identity of consistency.

As a result, I applied this new identity to every other aspect of my life.

I embraced and embodied it, and that’s what led me to become who I am today. This goal wasn’t an arbitrary target; it literally became the foundation upon which I constructed my identity—although I didn’t realize it at the time.

What It Means To Be Motivated And Disciplined

First, let’s break down what “Motivated And Disciplined” actually is and means.

It’s an identity, a self-concept that shifts your habits and actions toward your goals. When you adopt this mentality, you’re locked in and focused on making daily progress toward what matters most to you. As for what it means… Let’s take a closer look at that as well.

1. Motivation: Motivation is often thought of as simply a feeling, a fleeting emotion that comes and goes. And while that definition is not wrong by any means, I have another way of describing it. Motivation is your fuel; it’s your reason for doing what you do.
2. Discipline: Discipline is simply showing up. That’s it. You do the work when you’re tired or hungry, when things aren’t going well, when it looks and feels hopeless, when you doubt whether or not it will work out for you, etc. Discipline is showing up no matter what, and continuing to do so every day until you win.

To become motivated and disciplined, all you need is a goal (your motivation) and the ability to take action toward it (discipline). This mentality will allow you to see how powerful you truly are. Far too many people tap out on goals way too soon.

The Motivated And Disciplined mentality says, “Not until I win.”

Final Thoughts

Motivated And Disciplined is a lifestyle.

Once you adopt the identity of someone with commitment and follow-through, you’ll naturally begin injecting this philosophy into other areas of your life. It’s as if it bleeds into aspects of your character. And that’s the remarkable thing about it—it doesn’t stand alone; it affects everything you do.

If you’d like some guidance on how to develop this mindset, be sure to check out my book The Disciplined Mind.

And remember, stay Motivated And Disciplined.