While it’s tempting to believe that motivation is completely intrinsic, perhaps related to personality type, birth order, or some other fixed characteristic inherent in our DNA, the truth is we have far more control than we think. It turns out more than anything, motivation is a choice. A habit.
Highly motivated people share one bottom line common denominator: They choose it. It follows then that if motivation is a choice, that means anyone can do it.
Here are a few of their coveted habits YOU can adopt:
1. Set goals beyond your reach: Highly motivated individuals are not afraid of a challenge or the work required to achieve them. Their drive to achieve something beyond their reach, and the anticipation of that success, outweighs both the risks and the fear of failure.
2. Choose growth over discomfort: Every choice or opportunity has a cost. Getting up early to exercise means forgoing sleep. Having a difficult conversation requires pushing through fear of being misunderstood. Highly motivated people choose to pursue what they want and who they desire to become, instead of the comfort of who or where they already are.
3. Do what it takes: Nothing worth having will ever come easy. Highly motivated people are willing to make short-term sacrifices to attain long-term success. They are willing to start small, fail, and try again if that’s what it takes.
4. Visualize your success: Highly motivated people not only believe in their success, they can close their eyes and actually see it. Feel it. Whether that is physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, these people can visually imagine themselves achieving their goals, which helps them follow through during the more difficult parts of the journey.
5. Continue to learn: It’s been said: If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. Highly motivated people are drawn to people who are smarter, brighter, more talented and successful than they are. They aren’t put off by being average or even last because they want to learn and be better. Get faster. Go farther. Highly motivated people know that they are the average of the people they spend the most time with – and they choose to surround themselves with people who already have what they want.
Highly motivated people don’t have magic in their DNA making them better or more suited to success than the rest of us. The difference between people who stay motivated doing amazing things and people who fall asleep on the couch? A choice. Highly motivated people set goals beyond their reach; they choose growth over discomfort; they do what it takes; visualize success and are committed lifelong learners. Adopt these habits and you will become highly motivated to do amazing things too.