Why It’s Easier to Commit Than to Follow Through

Weeks of obsession led to one click. About a month prior, I’d been struck by a wild spark of inspiration, promising myself I’d tackle an Ironman 70.3 (I know you’re probably tired of hearing about Sean’s 50-mile ultra or my half Ironman, but we’re working on completing more races to add some variety, okay?!). I hunted for the perfect race like it was my mission, scouring details, researching courses, and diving into the world of Ironman. When I found the one - Musselman - I hovered over “Confirm,” pulse pounding, and clicked. That moment felt electric. That sudden realization hit: I’d just committed to the biggest race of my life.

I don’t recommend everyone following suit with this next part, but I never buy race insurance when I sign up. Not because of cost or superstition, but because I don’t want a safety net. I refuse to let the thought - “Well, you can always quit and get your money back” - creep in. When I sign up for something, that’s my commitment.

Why Commitment Feels Easy

Commitments are funny things, aren’t they? One moment, you’re all in, ready to take on the world. That spark hits hard - picturing yourself throwing the last wall ball at a Hyrox competition or gaining ten pounds of muslce. Even a 5K is nothing to scoff at. I can think of ten people I know off the top of my head who have never run 3.1 miles consecutively.

There’s a certain high that gets released when you sign up for something challenging, especially something the average person doesn’t do on a regular basis. Like most people, when you sign up for something hard, you want to share it with the world. Yes, possibly as a form of accountability, but also as a way of telling everyone that you aren’t afraid of challenges. And there’s nothing wrong with this. It’s a rush, fueled by inspiration and maybe a little ego.

Why Follow-Through Is the Real Challenge

But that high? It fades. A couple days or weeks in, that fire in every fiber of your being is gone, nowhere to be found. In our Finding Your 1% Newsletter #55, we broke down motivation vs. discipline:

“Motivation is a hell of a thing. It’s the spark that yanks you off the couch and gets you moving. It’s fueled by inspiration, external rewards, or big goals. It’s that burst of excitement that grips your whole body, pushing you to take the first steps toward a result. It’s often the “why” behind your decision to act - the rush of picturing yourself 100 pounds lighter or crossing the finish line of a half marathon.

Discipline and motivation seem similar on the surface, but discipline is more of a complementary asset than a twin. Motivation is the voice in your head shouting it’s time for a change, sparking the inspiration to transform your life. Discipline is the grit that keeps that drive alive long after the initial buzz fades.

It wasn’t luck or fortune that got them there - it was discipline. It’s knowing when to force yourself to do what’s needed and when to say no to what holds you back. Discipline is like a muscle: the more you work it, the stronger it gets. As Alex Hormozi says, “You don’t become confident by shouting affirmations in the mirror, but by having a stack of undeniable proof that you are who you say you are. Outwork your self-doubt.” Outwork that snake of a voice that creeps in when motivation starts to wane. It’s a slippery slope once you give in.”

The first few weeks of training? They’re usually golden. You’re riding that high, nailing your routine, feeling strong, and that finish line is crystal clear in your mind. Then, boom - your first obstacle. A workout tanks, you wake up sore as hell, or the weather screws your plans for days. Doubt creeps in. This is the make-or-break moment in your training block. Do you grit your teeth and push through, or take the easy way out and bail? That fleeting motivation won’t save you now - you need discipline to keep going.

Self-Doubt: It’s Part of the Journey

Those days when you wake up sore, tired, unmotivated, or pissed at a bad performance? They’re normal. Nobody - and I mean nobody - trains for something big without off days. When you signed up for that challenge, were you ready to crush it on day one? Absolutely not. It was always gonna take work - training in terrible conditions, tweaking your diet, skipping happy hour, pushing yourself to the edge to come back stronger. That’s a lot to juggle, especially if it’s new. So, give yourself some grace when you’re not at your best. Being consistently good beats being occasionally great every time.

Recognize the Need for Discipline

Discipline sucks to build when you don’t have it, but once it’s there, you’ll thank yourself forever. Nobody wakes up at 4:30 a.m. grinning like an idiot, thinking, “Hell yeah, can’t wait to ditch this cozy bed and run in cold, rainy conditions!” (At least, nobody I’d wanna hang with.) But discipline drags you out of bed to pound out those 4 miles because you said you would. You made that promise last night - morning shouldn’t change your plan.

I know this can sound like some hoo-rah, preachy rhetoric, but let’s work backwards from race day. To hit that start line with max confidence, you had to make sacrifices. If you’re running a half-marathon, showing up never having run more than 6 miles is a rookie move. When your training plan says “Long run: 10 miles” and your throat tightens up, skipping it might feel good today, but what’s that do for you when the gun goes off on race day? Outwork the doubt. Stack the proof.

The hardest thing to remember - and I still screw this up - is that you might fail your first shot at a PR long run, a faster pace, or lifting the heaviest weight you’ve ever tried. That’s completely normal. Failing doesn’t mean you’re weak; it means your body’s learning what it takes to succeed next time. You didn’t walk the first time you tried as a kid, right? Falling, getting up, and figuring it out - that’s what makes you Greater Than Yesterday.

It’s a new week - so do what you said you’d do. Find Your 1%!

Michael

GTY Performance