The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win

by Jeff Haden

I’ve let many goals go without even trying to achieve them. I thought about them, I dreamed about them, I imagined what it would feel like to accomplish them . . . but I never even got started.

I thought motivation was a prerequisite to starting a tedious learning process—a spark necessary to get me going. But motivation is really a result. Motivation is the fire that starts burning after you manually, painfully, coax it into existence, and it feeds on the satisfaction of seeing yourself make progress. The problem with waiting for motivation to strike is that it almost never comes with enough voltage to actually get you started.

burst of motivation is like a sugar rush: It feels great but is impossible to maintain,

There is only one recipe for gaining motivation: success. Specifically, the dopamine hits we get when we observe ourselves making progress.

If you want to stay motivated, if you want to stay on track, if you want to keep making progress toward the things you hope to achieve, the key is to enjoy small, seemingly minor successes—but on a regular basis.

Motivation is something you get, from yourself, automatically, from feeling good about achieving small successes.

Success is a process.

Why were they so surprised by their success? They were busy doing.

The accomplishment, no matter how amazing, is just the cherry on top of the fulfillment cake.

A slice of satisfaction, fulfillment, and happiness can be found in the achievement . . . but the real source of consistent, lasting happiness lies in the process.

Accomplishing something, no matter how small the task, makes us feel better about ourselves.

When you savor the small victories, you get to feel good about yourself every day, because you no longer feel compelled to compare the distance between here and there. You don’t have to wait for “someday” to feel good about yourself;

To accomplish anything worthwhile, and especially to achieve a goal others say is impossible, you have to work your ass off. There are no shortcuts. The only way is the hard way.

Most people are confused about the source of motivation. They think motivation is the spark that automatically produces lasting eagerness to do hard work; the greater the motivation, the more effort you’re willing to put in. Actually, motivation is a result. Motivation is the pride you take in work you have already done—which fuels your willingness to do even more.

Real motivation comes after you start. Motivation isn’t the result of hearing a speech or watching a movie or crisping your soles. Motivation isn’t passive; motivation is active.

The key is to enjoy the feeling of success that comes from improving in some small way . . . and then rinse and repeat, over and over again.

once you get active and start doing something—doing not just anything but something you know will get you one step closer to your goal—the

You feel motivated because you took action. Motivation is a result, not a precondition. You don’t need motivation to break a sweat. Break a sweat and you’ll feel motivated.

Starting provides the motivation to finish.

You can’t “hack” your way to success.

Confidence comes from preparation.

you naturally become more confident as you become more prepared.

You realize that all you have to do is find the right process, work the process, and enjoy the feeling of success and resulting motivation you get from constant improvement (because if you follow the right process, you will constantly improve).

that the best way to succeed was to develop a routine and then stick to that routine.

people who talk about their intentions are much less likely to follow through on those intentions.

what really drives success is not “genius” but a combination of passion and long-term perseverance.

Successful people don’t just prioritize; they consistently keep doing what they have decided is most important.

You don’t have to find the motivation or willpower; you do what you need to do because that’s who you are.

You’ll stay motivated when you find a process you trust and commit to working that process for as little as a week.

what matters more—a lot more—than the power of “why” is the power of “how.”

Choices present a huge obstacle to meeting our objectives.

Choices are a problem, because choices force you to decide what you want to do.

When you create a routine, embrace that routine, and see the results of that routine, you stop negotiating with yourself. You see your routine as a task, in the best possible way: Your routine isn’t something you choose to do; it’s just what you do. And you stop making choices that don’t support your goals.

A dream, once born, quickly dies without a process to support it.

Everyone has goals. The people who actually achieve their goals create routines. They build systems. They consistently take the steps that, in time, will ensure they reach their ultimate goal. They don’t wish. They don’t hope. They just do what their plan says, consistently and without fail.

Those are your goals. You set them, but for now you must forget them, because you will never be able to give yourself positive feedback when you constantly compare yourself with your end goal.

I worried only about what I needed to do each day.

creating a successful process is hugely motivating in and of itself.

A good process tells you precisely what you need to accomplish at every step along the way.

Always wait until you can evaluate real results before you modify your process.

Don’t assume you somehow know better—let the data show you what is better.

The best way to determine the right process for achieving a life goal is to study people who have actually achieved that goal.