It’s not about motivation, it’s about habit. How to build habits that keep you going when the motivation is low. Have you ever wondered why other people seem to be able to do anything? They always seem motivated. It’s not about motivation but about habits.

motivation or habits

Motivation is to feel a lot of power to do things and sometimes again motivation is really hard to find. On the other hand, if you have created habits for yourself to act, you have a general willingness to act. Sure, motivation is needed to change habits, but once you’ve changed and built new habits, not much motivation is needed.

Habits are created as a result of constant repetition. Going to work, cooking and watching TV as a routine from day to day gives you the need to repeat this. If you break that habit, for example by going to a jog or gym, you need motivation and courage to get started. But when you repeat this new way, it becomes a need for what to repeat.

Before a new thing becomes a habit that doesn’t require much motivation. It requires 3 R’s habit formation, reminder, routine and reward. Reminder helps you get started, why you start, why you do something new, and what makes you continue this new way. The routine is the event itself, a new routine that you create and that includes new habits. The reward is what you get from these new habits.

creating new habits

So, what helps create new habits? Goals and desire for change are the biggest factors. These should be important enough that you feel motivated enough to start. New habits do not emerge in an instant, especially if life has followed a certain formula for a really long time. Giving up the familiar and safe may seem difficult and insurmountable. When setting goals and learning new ways, it is good to be prepared to feel uncomfortable. Too big changes at once can seem too challenging, making smaller milestones on the go profitable. For these, you get a rewarding feeling or a concrete reward.

Often, creating new habits also means giving up some old, unfavourable habits. To make room for new habits, think about why you’ve done something in the past. Is there a background cause in certain habits? Do you watch TV after work because it is a nice way to relax and at the same time you can forget about the stress of the day? Feeling this can also be transferred to something other than sitting on a comfortable couch. By exercising, in addition to adrenaline, you increase endorphin levels, which reduce stress and increase well-being.

The feeling that others are accomplishing more than you and that they are more motivated is not entirely unambiguous. It’s about creating good habits for yourself and continuity.