11 habits of highly motivated people (that propel them towards success)

Motivation is the fuel that runs the vehicle moving towards your goals.

In contrast to what others are led to believe, motivation isn’t something that comes and goes when you’re in the mood to work for your future.

Motivation is something that’s generated, found, and sustained.

Instead of requiring so many things just to be motivated, all you need to do is change your habits and mindset to keep yourself on the right track.

Here are the 11 habits that highly motivated people have developed:

1) They Consistently Look For Their “Why”

We always come back to the very foundation of motivation: our purpose.

Having a reason for doing certain things in your life will always be a strong foundation for keeping yourself upright and chasing your goals.

So it’s important to always determine why you even do things in the first place.

I have friends who, despite all of their talents, have lost sense of why they’re doing the things that they do.

Despite their capabilities, they seem to have no intent on making use of their gifts because they don’t get why they should bother with it.

This is exactly why purpose gives us that push to keep doing what we’re doing – with passion and meaning.

2) They Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is a way to set the mood and dictate a mindset.

Something that I always keep in mind is that if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.

Planning is seeing the big picture and then filling in the important details.

In a way, planning is like dreaming, which keeps you inspired as you reach your goals.

Over time, it’s easy to develop new techniques in planning to boost motivation. I personally can’t live without my planner or calendar, which has a wide space for my to-do lists.

Planning helps me keep track of the things I need to do so I can reach my goals much more efficiently.

This also helps me manage deadlines, with ample time left for emergency cases in which I may miss my personal deadline but not the real one.

3) They Move Around

Being motivated is a mindset, but it doesn’t just stop at mind games and mind control.

Research has proven that moving around or having regular exercise improves an individual’s mood.

So if you’re living a sedentary lifestyle and you’re still wondering why you lack motivation, then the first thing you need to do is to get up and take a walk.

I think that moving around to boost motivation doesn’t require extensive exercises and workout sessions.

Light exercises or stretching routines may be enough to spice up your morning routine. Keeping in touch with the world helps you see the beauty in it, which may improve your overall mood.

4) They Always Look At Every Possibility

Motivation causes optimism, but it’s mostly because of a motivated person’s capacity to look at all sides for every possibility.

They have this strong control for what they believe is possible, and they do make it happen.

This is why motivated people also see the value of taking breaks because of the possibility of gaining long-term benefit from it, something that I think most people don’t realize.

Breaks can be powerful, and sometimes there’s a strong call for it that we refuse to listen to because of our idealistic version of plans.

But that’s also the beauty of planning ahead as mentioned before — you could expect these setbacks and make room for breaks just in case you need one.

5) They Develop The Values That Count

They focus on spending time to cultivate their values instead of looking at what others lack.

This is a way to keep supporting their purpose of doing something so they would always keep their motivation in check.

Most people are generic in terms of the values that they perceive as substantial.

They think that there’s a secret formula to the values that you need to have, or better yet, the only important values that you need are those that will lead you to success.

However, the actual values that count are the ones that will lead you toward the path to genuine happiness and fulfillment, which both require the motivation to do so.

6) They Surround Themselves With Catalysts

When I’m sick, I don’t surround myself with sick people.

Similarly, when I’m healthy, I also don’t surround myself with sick people.

People are contagious, so it’s essential that you also surround yourself with highly motivated ones who will enable your path to success.

Although there’s some truth to the fact that your success or path to fulfillment only depends on you alone, it’s still significant to find value in being part of a team, or in having someone to encourage you to go for the things that you want in life.

No matter how individualistic people can be, people will still have some influence on other people.

So only surround yourself with the people who you know could bring out the best in you.

7) They Always Gather Feedback

Motivated people don’t get demotivated by criticisms, simply because they don’t perceive it as such.

Instead of looking at criticisms as negative instruments of hate, they look at them as feedback.

Motivated people draw their motivation to change, develop, and progress from the feedback loops that they build in their inner circle.

When people throw their criticisms at me, they use harsh words as if willing to hurt me.

In reality, I always welcome their feedback because it allows me to look at the points that still require improvement so I can be a better version of myself.

8) They Get Out Of Their Comfort Zones

Motivated people don’t just get their adrenaline rush from exercise or from moving around, they are also able to do so by getting out of their safe zones and challenging themselves.

Some people are too afraid of fulfilling their dreams because they think there’s nothing next for them anymore.

In comparison, motivated people think that there’s always something new to try out and discover in life, you just have to get out of your comfort zone to see for yourself.

I saw a Facebook post that challenges the normal belief of getting out of one’s comfort zone.

The user wonders why instead of getting out of a comfort zone, why don’t people simply make the zone more comfortable to begin with?

Honestly, I think that when the zone is too comfortable, most people would simply be complacent or content in a negative way.

Sometimes a little or moderate pressure is healthy to bring about significant changes in your life.

9) They Set Compelling Goals

Motivated people don’t just dream and set goals, they ensure that they will only seek the best things in life for themselves because that’s what they think they deserve the most.

They set goals that will compel them to work hard in order to reach it.

Settling for less is okay if that’s genuinely what you want.

But if you’re simply scared to get your hopes up and fail, then settling is not the way to go.

Thinking of failure before you can even define your goals sets the course for a dream that’s filled with doubts that it would eventually be impossible to reach.

In my years as a schoolgirl, the proper manner of setting goals is definitely something that my teachers missed out on teaching properly.

10) They Track Their Progress

To ensure progress, you have to track it.

Although sometimes, when we realize that we’re too far from our goals, we tend to be demotivated. I guess the best way to go so you can keep yourself motivated is to be the first one to applaud yourself for being a step closer to the goal.

Every step of progress counts, but most people equate progress with being halfway to the goal.

I have so many acquaintances who stopped reaching for their goals the moment they realized how far they are and how many steps they’re still required to make before they reach their goals.

Track your progress and maintain your fuel in working towards your goals in life.

11) They Try Again

Motivated people aren’t perfect, and like every person on Earth, they’re also vulnerable to failure. What makes them different is their capability to try again and thrive even in an environment where they have failed once.

They don’t see mistakes as errors, they see mistakes for the good that it is: as learning points to look back on when you make future decisions.

These kinds of people always remember that they can try again if they choose to.

As long as second chances are available, they will stay motivated, to take it and make the best out of it even if they have failed once or multiple times.

Most people ask me what my secret to staying motivated is.

Aside from the fact that I know my own purpose in chasing my dreams and working towards my goal, what really keeps me working my way to be where I want to be is the mindset of trying, failing, and then trying again.