Have you ever been really motivated to accomplish something or create a new habit? Feels pretty awesome, doesn’t it?

When you are motivated it feels like there is no obstacle too big for you to overcome. You jump out of bed excited to start the day because it means you have another opportunity to achieve your goals. And when you wake up energized and excited, it makes it so much easier than trying to roll yourself out of bed and psyche yourself up to do something you don’t really want to do.

Harnessing the power of motivation means you don’t see your day as just something boring and monotonous to get through. Instead, you see your daily routine as a set of habits you’ve created to help you reach your goals.

It’s another one of those circle things. When you’re motivated creating new habits becomes easier, and when you create new habits staying motivated becomes easier too. It also makes it easier to ditch the bad habits that block you from getting what you really want.

The Relationship Between Habits, Motivation, and Success

It’s no coincidence that many successful people share the same habits.  That they created these habits in the first place was, of course, was a product of their being motivated enough to start them and then keep going.

A funny thing happens when you are motivated to create new habits. Once they become habits, it’s easier to stick with them even when you don’t feel motivated to do so.

One of the secrets of successful people is recognizing that levels of motivation and enthusiasm will fluctuate. It is imperative to use the ‘motivated phase’ to create habits that will continue to work for you even when you in a low motivation phase.

So, the power of motivation doesn’t just help you get started. It also keeps you going and is an integral part of creating the habits and routines that are going to help you reach your goals.

There’s a reason why writers write every day even if the only thing they put on the page is “I don’t know what to write today.”  If you only take action toward your goals when you feel motivated or ‘inspired’, you’ll never really reach the success you’re aiming for because you’ll never really finish anything.

Here are four habits you might be motivated to try on your road to success.

Habit #1 – Get up early

I’ll be the first to admit this is not my favorite habit, but it’s a common one that successful people swear by.

Getting up early and starting your day while the rest of the world is still asleep is something that many successful people and people aspiring to be successful do.

They have a complete morning routine from waking up ready to start the day on their own terms to exercising, meditating, and setting their own priorities for the day.

Habit #2 – Focus on Results

When they’re motivated to accomplish something, successful people don’t pay any attention to excuses. They focus on achieving results instead.

They set daily targets and expect to achieve them each day. They do what needs to be done, and don’t let themselves be distracted.

Being clear on what you want to achieve makes it much easier to stay motivated. That’s why you really need to be clear on what you want before you start trying to create the habits and routines to achieve it. (More on this in a minute)

Habit #3 – Pay Attention to Your Health

Poor health has derailed many people from achieving the level of success they are capable of. It’s probably the one main reason that successful and motivated people tend to place such an emphasis on their physical, mental, and emotional health.

Supporting your health with good diet, exercise and social behaviors means your mind and body can better support you in your endeavors.

Habit #4 – Develop Good Relationships

I talk a lot about building relationships here. And there’s a good reason for that. In order to be successful, you need to put relationships with the people around you front and centre. Building relationships with your prospects, clients, and customers is the best way for them to get to know, like, and trust you.

You don’t have to be a highly social extrovert either. Even people like me who work alone and are super-introverted know that building good relationships with friends, family and colleagues is a must. Sure, it might take a little more work if you are an introvert, but it’s worth it.

How To Decide What Habits to Create

Creating new habits may come with a few roadblocks for you. Some people find it hard to get started (procrastination), others have trouble sticking to them (lack of persistence).

If you can answer these three questions before you start creating your new habit, it might be easier to get started and also to stick to it until it really becomes a habit.

Question #1 – Why do you want to create this new habit?

As with any other type of change you want to make in life, knowing why you want to do it helps to keep you focused on the end goal, what you ultimately hope to achieve by developing it.

For example, if your goal is to lose weight, then you should know why you want this. Is it because you’d like to be able to wear a bathing suit at the beach? Is it because you want to improve your health? Knowing why you want to achieve the goal of losing weight will give you a better idea on how to go about it.

When you have your purpose deeply embedded into your mind then new habits become easier to stick to, even after the initial momentum fades.

Question #2 – When will you start working on your new habit?

If we stick to the weight lost example, the one of your goals will most likely be eating more healthy foods. But, when will you start eating those healthy foods?

Think about this… How many times have you said “I want to lose 10 pounds in just one week”? And when did the week start? Did it start the day you said you wanted to lose 10 pounds in a week, or did you tell yourself you’d start the next Monday?

It is easy to say I will start eating a healthy breakfast tomorrow. Unfortunately, when “tomorrow” comes it is just as easy to be still eating the same processed food for breakfast.

And how many times have you sabotaged yourself by saying something like “I have to indulge now because tomorrow I will start sticking to my healthy eating habits”.

Once you decide to start your new habits, make sure not to put off taking action. Otherwise, you will not only be delaying the realization of your goal, you will be feeding your procrastination habit at the same time.  And that’s one habit you do not want to hang on to.

Question #3 – Where will you be creating new habits?

You’re not alone in wanting to create new habits and kick your old ones to the curb.  Knowing where you will start practicing your new habits — at home, at work, with others, by yourself — is something that many people don’t think about, and yet they should. Here’s why it’s important…

It’s important to know where you will practice new habits because when the day you’ve selected as your start day comes, you may find yourself in a place where you are unable to follow through on your good intentions. Has this happened to you?

You start the day with good intentions, and then find yourself in a place where others don’t support the changes you’re trying to make.

I had this happen more than once when I was trying to quit smoking. I’d wake up determined to quit, and then end up spending the day with friends who smoked (and most all of them did), and so my good intentions were ridiculed and joked about, and I’d end up having a smoke and joining in with the rest of them.

The best thing you can do for yourself is plan ahead. If you can, avoid the people and places that provide too much temptation so that you don’t have to rely on just your own willpower to get you through.

If you can’t avoid the people and places that trigger negative habits, make a plan that includes strategies on how to deal with them, and what to say to the people around you. Whatever you do, don’t give up on creating your new habits just because of what other people might think. It’s your life and your choice.

Final Thoughts

These questions and processes apply to the creation of any new habit whether its getting up early in the morning, or changing your diet, or quitting smoking. There will always be opportunities to fall back into your old habits.

Every time to you stick to the choices you’ve make, it’s a win, and that strengthens the new habit and builds your confidence in yourself at the same time.

Knowing the why, when, and where of your new habit creation will help to keep you focused on the positive outcome you want to achieve. They’ll also give you insights into how you will create your new habits so that you give yourself the best chance for success.

As long as you stay motivated and committed to the changes you’re making, you will see success. The more motivated you are to succeed at your new habits, the more successful you will be. And the more successful you are the more motivated you will be to stick with the new, healthy habits you have created for your life.