7 habits of successful people

So, what exactly do you have to do to stay motivated until the very end and achieve each of your goals, whether it’s dieting, getting rid of bad habits, or increasing productivity at work? Share ideas from the book.

Make roadmaps

Having a specific action plan helps to achieve the goal. For example, in business. It is very difficult to make a startup work. Many company founders feel desperate and confused, so they give up halfway through. But those with a clear roadmap are much more likely to follow through.

If you think through all the steps that will lead you to the desired result, you are more likely to stay on course.

A clear strategy makes it easier for you to take any action. People who choose a new career path or, say, begin to engage in fitness, most likely, will not retreat from their decision, if they know what and how they will do next.

Concentrate on small steps

People like to read books and listen to lectures with promises to lose 45 kg or earn a million dollars. This is admirable and plays a role in motivating action, but if you focus exclusively on a big distant dream, the effect may be the opposite.

We are disappointed not to see a quick result, and leave the case, and do not bring it to an end.

In order not to lose your enthusiasm, you need to focus on short-term goals and small steps. Do you dream of a good figure, success and popularity? Invest all your energy in going to a training session in the evening, attracting five new clients or writing one page of a book.

Concentrate on each tiny step forward and don’t forget to praise yourself for small achievements. This will lead to the release of a powerful chemical, dopamine, which will make you feel good and want to repeat the action.

Surround yourself with the right people

Communities encourage us to do both useful things, such as regular exercise, and harmful things, such as smoking. Think about whether your environment helps you achieve your goals or pulls you back.

Try to have less contact with people who prevent you from following the plan and more contact with those who motivate and inspire you.

It is not a problem if there is no one among your relatives, colleagues and friends who shares your goals. Fortunately, we are never alone. If you want to change something, but failures and difficulties knock you off track, you can always find a community where people will have the same interests as you.

Like-minded people will support you, help you with advice, and keep you going. Source

For example, you can join an online community of psychological support, join a fitness association, join a yoga and meditation group, or take a group training course. It is important not only to find like-minded people, but also to actively maintain contact with them.

Manage your environment

Go to the gym or spend the evening in front of the TV with a glass of wine? Continue working on an important project or reply to a message in the messenger? These kinds of forces are constantly pulling and pushing us, and the easier it is for us to do something, the more likely it is that we will choose this option.

By changing the environment so that it pushes you in the right direction, you can seriously adjust your behavior. The less confusing the temptations around you and the more stimuli you have to follow the plan, the better.

Research shows that changing the environment to make things easier does help to achieve what you want.

For example, the most effective way to quit smoking is to remove all tobacco products from the home. The same applies to diets: it will be much easier for you to refrain from eating unhealthy foods if you throw out all the garbage from the fridge and start bypassing the fast food where it is sold (you can even change the usual route for this purpose).

And if you are prone to procrastination, it is necessary to eliminate all distractions (clear the table from unnecessary paperwork, put the phone in air mode, turn off sound notifications) and surround yourself with triggers that set up a productive work (for example, hang over the table a list of tasks for the day).

Turn desired behavior into routine

If you do something useful from time to time – for example, eat healthy food, follow safety rules, do not hover in the clouds – it is absorbed by the brain.

Regularly performing some action in one place and at one time, you turn your behavior into an automatic one. At first you will need concentration and effort, but then it will be much easier to follow the established order.

The brain is constantly looking for ways to simplify the task and turns repetitive behavior into habits that should be considered without hesitation.

Try to make things routine. Schedule a time when you can do it, for example, at 8 p.m. every day or every Saturday and Sunday after a morning cup of coffee. The longer you stick to the regimen, the more desirable your desired behavior will be in your brain.

Be inspired by the future

The goal must be really important for you, otherwise there will be no motivation to reach the end. Even though we said you should concentrate on small steps, sometimes you have to remind yourself why you’re doing this.

According to scientists, the strongest motivators are money, social connections and health. Of course, each person has their own priorities, so be guided by what inspires you.

Many people have days when they want to give up. In such moments, a simple exercise helps a lot: you just need to imagine yourself in the future, where you have already achieved the goals that matter to you.

The image of the future “I” (slim, successful, popular) can make you put down cookies and go for a run, give up watching the show and focus on your work or get up off the couch and go to a social event.

Take action!

Almost any book on self-development and business psychology states: if you want to overcome fears, learn to sell better or become happier, you need to change the way of thinking.

This is a very common misconception. Self-influence almost never works. In fact, all positive changes start with action.

Do you want to relax and overcome shyness? Enroll in improvisation lessons.

Do you want to get rid of procrastination? Start a blog about how harmful it is to put things off for later. Play the role of an expert until you get used to it.

Do not know how to cheer yourself up? Just stop frowning and smile.

Are you trying to overcome your fear? Dive into it with your head! Start doing what scares you – and you will feel like a different person.

Do you think you lack responsiveness? Do some volunteer work.

Such tricks allow you to change your mind. The mind is reconfigured, analyzing your behavior, and you acquire a new identity.