How To Develop A Motivational Habit

We are all creatures of habit. When we do one thing consistently and for a long enough period of time, it becomes second nature. That tendency is often embodied in negative ways.

Things like smoking, overeating and procrastination become habits. And one they do, they become very difficult to break.

The good news is that the “habit factor” cuts both ways. If you develop a good habit, it will remain intact and will be just as resistant to change.

We are all constantly on the lookout for an additional motivational spark--something that will keep us going day after day.

By making daily motivation exercises a consistent ritual, we can develop a habit that will help us to reach even our loftiest aspirations.

Discover motivation exercises that resonate with you and make them part of your daily schedule. Commit to establishing a motivational habit. Before you know it, you will never be searching for inspiration; you will be making your own every single day!

Did That REALLY Motivate You?

Sometimes, we can watch a program, listen to a speaker, or read a book that fills us with a sense of motivation and that makes us feel like we can do anything to which we set our minds.

In some cases, that sense of limitless possibility remains intact and we refer back to that inspirational material again and again as we work toward our goals. In other cases, the feeling of elation and excitement passes within a very short period of time.

Motivation exercises are a lot like food. Some foods really do nourish the body and provide us with the essential nutrients we need to survive and thrive. Some foods, on the other hand, are junk. They taste sweet, but don’t do much good for the body and may actually harm it.

Some motivation exercises are nourishing psychological and emotional meals, while others are nothing more than the motivational equivalent of cotton candy.

As you experiment with different methods of motivation, make the effort to separate the truly good stuff from the junk. Look for exercises that connect with you on a deeper level and that tend to linger with you long after the initial excitement subsides.

Don’t confuse dinner with a candy bar or motivation with manipulation.

Learn More About Motivation

Motivation is a simple concept. Finding sources of motivation, in practice, however can be a little complicated sometimes. The things that motivate us as children become less important as time passes.

Even as adults, events around us can change our ways of thinking and our outlooks toward certain ideas and activities. The nature of individual motivation is in a constant state of flux.

As such, it is important to constantly refill our motivational cup. We need to find ways to prod ourselves toward our goals and aspirations, realizing that we won’t always be able to draw from the same sources of inspiration.

One of the best possible ways to learn more about motivation and how to find it is by becoming a student of the subject.

By reading and learning more about what makes us tick and what compels us to “do better,” we can always have real sources of inspiration at our disposal.

Becoming a student of motivation is a great way of becoming a more fulfilled person and of reaching our individual goals.

Making The Time For Motivation

You were motivated when you came up with a plan to change your life, but you might have found your ability to keep on moving toward your goals waning now that a little time has passed.

You either need to recapture some of the motivation that led you to take action in the first place or to find some new inspiration elsewhere.

This is why motivation exercises can be so valuable. They allow you to find a little extra boost that can help keep you working on your program. There are as many motivation exercises as there are people. Some find inspiration in an upbeat film. Others are motivated by introspection and a desire to bring their actions into alignment with their beliefs. Physical exercise has an impact on others.

The important part about motivation exercises isn’t so much which one you choose, but that you make the choice to do something. A consistent, long-term commitment to maintaining high motivation levels is often critical to self-improvement.

Make sure you are setting aside a dedicated chunk of time every day to find new motivation and to re-connect with the ideas that originally inspired you to make a positive change

Ask Yourself A Question!

Would you believe that one of the most powerful possible motivation exercises consists of nothing more than asking yourself a single question?

It’s true. Training yourself to have a brief internal dialog at the right times can be a great way to stay on track as you pursue your goals.

Here’s how it works. Think about the most fundamental reasons why you have decided to make a better life for yourself. After you isolate those reasons, begin to ask yourself whether the actions you are considering will help you toward that aim.

For instance, someone involved in a weight loss plan might, when presented with an opportunity to consume some patently unhealthy food, ask himself or herself whether doing so will really help them be a healthier or happier person?

It sounds almost too obvious to work, but it does. Asking a “filter question” forces conscious decisions, this increases the likelihood of acting consistently with our carefully chosen goals.

A few well-placed questions can serve as a strong motivational exercise that will help you stay on track as you build a better life.

Hold Your Pleasure Hostage

Some days you just want to sit down and relax when the work day ends. Nothing sounds better than watching a favorite television show, reading a great book, ordering a delivery meal or some other small luxury.

Before you flip on the tube or find that delivery menu, however, you might want to consider turning the situation into a motivational opportunity.

Ask yourself what you still need to do to work toward your personal goals. Do you have a few small tasks you were willing to let slide as you enjoyed that program or dinner?

Is there something you should be doing, as part of your overall plan that you were just going to skip? Is there something you could do that would make you feel better about your day and yourself?

If the answer to any of those questions is, “yes,” it’s time to hold your pleasure hostage. Tell yourself that you get to watch the TV after you do your task or work toward your goal.

Make that small luxury into a reward for a job well done. Not only will you enjoy the reward more that way, you will also be one step closer to the life you have envisioned for yourself.

This simple motivation exercise probably won’t change your life all by itself. However, it can help you to find a spark when you really need it.

Are You Following Through?

Most of us set goals for ourselves. We spend time thinking about the ways we could make our lives more productive, exciting, happy and pleasing and convert that thinking into a list of personal objectives that should help us to build a better life.

Unfortunately, many of us don’t follow through with our plans. We start with the best possible intentions, but find our efforts derailed as the grind of every day life begins to wear at us. What once seemed like a challenging, yet very possible way to transform life slowly becomes little more than a deferred dream.

It’s not a lack of thinking or seriousness that holds us back. Usually, it is a lack of follow-through! Are you following through with your plans? If not, you should consider learning and implementing some powerful motivation exercises that can keep you on the right track.

Motivation exercises can solve one of the most common self-improvement problems. They can allow us to find that spark of motivation we need to work on our goals day in and day out.

Don’t give up! Follow through!

The Crippled Hunter

A great hunter named Hawk woke in the medicine man's hut. His arm ached fiercely, and when he reached over to touch it, he found the bottom half removed. He lay there, stunned.

"I'm sorry my son," said the medicine man from the smoky interior of the hut. "You are a cunning hunter, but you were hurt gravely saving Little Wing's life. You are a hero to all our people, but the spirits said I must take your arm to save your life."

Beneath the wraps on Hawk's arm, the injury ached. He let his remaining hand fall limply to the blanket.

"What can I do now?" he asked numbly.

"You will not be able to use a bow any more," the medicine man said, "but your years providing food for the tribe will not be forgotten. You will find a way to contribute."

"You mean I can join the old women and the cripples who tend to the hunter's catches," Hawk growled. He could barely restrain the tears that pricked his eyes. A hunter did not cry.

But if he was a hunter no longer, did it matter?

Hawk spent a lot of time alone while he was recovering. He went on many long walks. He tried to use his bow, but he could see no way to shoot an arrow with his arm mangled.

People told him to relax, to do the work he could do to contribute to the tribe, such as preparing meat and tanning hides. But even this work was difficult for him with only one hand. Besides, he did not want to tan hides for the rest of his life.

Something else bothered him. Winter was coming and game had been scarce all year. The tribe had not put in as much meat for the hard months as it should have. They needed every hunter out there catching food. They needed him.

"Not like this," he muttered and glared at his useless stump.

One day Hawk abandoned the menial work--others did it so much more efficiently than him anyway--and walked away from camp. He followed a canyon rim. Far below a tiny stream meandered through, but anyone who fell would be splattered on the rocks.

For a moment he considered falling. What was his life if he could not hunt?

But what a cowardly end. Surely the spirits would be disappointed.

Hawk sighed and looked over his shoulder. Fields of tall yellow grass stretched before him. Then he noticed dark shapes in the distance. Buffalo. A small herd, more than enough to provide meat for his people through the winter.

A hunting party was out, but they had gone the other direction. They might miss these buffalo altogether.

Hawk looked from them to the cliff and back. An idea formed.

He waited until the buffalo came as close to the canyon as they would, then tested the wind. Perfect.

He set a fire in the tall grasses behind the buffalo. The flames soon grew and smoke filled the air. This terrified the buffalo, and they stampeded.

Hooves struck the earth so hard it was like being in an earthquake. Hawk had set the fire in just the right spot, and many of the huge creatures ran blindly at the canyon cliff. Their instincts told them to run from fire, and they went right over the edge.

After the fire had died down, Hawk returned to the tribe for help skinning and preparing all the meat on the canyon floor. Now his people would have enough food for the winter. The tribesmen and women looked at him with awe. They had never looked at him like that before, even when he had been a good hunter with two strong arms.

"How did bring down so many when you're a cripple?" one blunt boy asked.

"I learned that you don't have to be stronger and faster than the buffalo, just smarter than it."

Men And Fish Ponds

A man stalked into a fish store in a huff. He located the owner out back, attending a tranquil water garden. In a large pond, fish swam happily in clear clean water.

The man barely noticed the peaceful setting. He thrust a bag full of water out for the owner to see. A small, runty fish twitched its tail inside.

"I bought this last summer," the man said.

"Is there a problem?" the owner asked.

"It's tiny! You sold me a bunch of defective fish. I wanted ones like those." He pointed to the long, sleek fish gliding through the pond.

"They are the same breed, sir," the store owner said.

"They can't be. Yours are magnificent and mine are stunted. You keep all the best ones for yourself and give the customers the rejects. Admit it!"

The owner clasped his hands behind his back and did not respond to the accusation. Instead he merely said, "Please, sir, tell me about the pond where your fish live."

"Well, it's about this big." The man stretched his arms, indicating a size much smaller than the store pond.

"Yes, how many fish are in it?"

"Eight."

"That is very many fish for such a small pond, sir. Are they fed well?"

"Of course," the man said. "Well, actually my wife handles that. Sometimes she forgets."

"And the water?" the shop owner asked. "Is it clear and fresh?"

"It's a little murky," the man said. "We're busy, and we don't have that much time for pond care."

"I think I see your problem, sir. This kind of fish is just like a person. To reach its full potential, it must be in an environment that nurtures growth."

The Great Turtle Race

Two turtles entered into a race. At the end lay a golden shell, a prize any turtle would enjoy.

As soon as the race official shouted, "Go!" the first turtle, Milfred, started plodding toward the finish line.

The second turtle, Manny, shook his head in disgust. Everybody knew turtles were slow. It would take her all day to reach the finish line like that. It would be hard work too.

Many took out a map he had snuck into the race. He looked for shortcuts, spotted a couple of likely routes, and chose the best looking one.

That route took him up a hill. He huffed and puffed, telling himself it would be easier in the end. But he eventually came to a spot where a rock avalanche had buried the path.

Manny reluctantly turned back and tried another shortcut. This time, he came to a ten-foot high cliff. A human or a monkey might have been able to climb it, but a turtle certainly couldn't.

Grumbling, Manny retraced his path and headed for the third shortcut. It seemed a likely route, and he would surely shave hours off his race time if it continued to the end. But he came to a spot where a river had changed course and now ran right over the trail. The water was too swift and wide for a turtle to cross.

Manny had to turn back again.

By now, the sun hung low in the western sky. Then things got worse.

The official returned with the news. Slow, plodding Milfred had finished the race and won the golden shell.

Manny was still at the start line. Not only that, but in recounting all his steps, he realized he had walked farther than Milfred.