Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

Motivation is a huge topic.

There are books, seminars, even movies about it. Motivation is the glamorous part of getting something done.

Habit is the hard work.

Habit is getting out of bed when you’d rather sleep in, choosing a carrot over a cookie, and going to the gym even when you don’t feel like it.

Motivation can get you going, but only HABIT can KEEP you going.

So, how do you create a habit?

Repetition. Desire. Action.

Roadturn Principle: NEVER give up.

Let’s talk about it…

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(Quote attributed to Jim Ryun)

Doubt can only be removed by action.

(Quote attributed to Goethe)

Doubt can paralyze you. It can keep you from going for the career you want, speaking up for something you care about, or stop you from committing to a fitness plan.

Doubt can put you down and keep you down.

But there’s a cure for doubt.

Goethe knew the answer a long time ago: Doubt can be overcome by action.

When you step out and commit, the world makes way for you.

Roadturn Challenge: What do you need to act on? Set aside some thinking time. Look deeply. Record what you find.

Roadturn Principle: For most of us, the problem isn’t that we don’t know what to do. The problem is that we don’t DO what we know.

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.

Have you faced any adversity lately?

Every good thing you want to do in life is sure to be opposed by someone or something.

That’s the genius of the airplane. It uses the force of whatever works against it as wind for the take-off.

We can do the same.

For instance…

• Gravity makes situps hard to do… but pushing against that force makes you stronger
• Running takes grit and determination, but pushing through the urge to quit pays off in the end
• Getting to the gym can seem like a hassle at first, but once you work to build the habit, it’s hard to imagine how people get by without regular exercise

Once we learn that lesson — once we KNOW how to leverage the power of opposition to make us stronger, we’ve secured a primary key to success in life.

Roadturn Principle: What would happen if you really tried?

No more excuses.

Let’s soar!

(Quote attributed to Henry Ford.)

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.

(Quote attributed to Tommy Lasorda)

If you head in the direction of the mountain… and keep walking… you’ll get there.

If you don’t, you won’t.

Talking about it won’t get you there.

Dreaming about it won’t get you there.

Reading about it won’t get you there.

Without the determination to ACT, you’re stuck where you are.

Roadturn Challenge: Take a goal off the shelf and look at it closely. Are you determined to achieve it, or is it something you’d like to see happen someday, but really aren’t committed to?

Don’t beat yourself up here. There’s nothing wrong with deciding not to act. Just don’t fool yourself.

What are your top three to five absolute must-happen desires? Which of those are you most ready to move towards? Which are you most determined to reach? Take time to reflect.

Knowing what you want is the first step to getting it.

Roadturn Principle: Set out in the direction of your dreams, and don’t stop walking.

Let’s talk about it…

You may delay, but time will not.

(Quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin)

Keep putting it off until tomorrow, and you may never get it done at all.

The ratio of those who wish they would’ve to those who gritted their teeth and did it has to be huge. Nothing is more common than regret.

Isn’t that sad?

We know what we want, we know what we should do… but “as soon as” gets in the way:

• I’ll start going to the gym regularly as soon as the kids are bigger
• I’ll start that diet as soon as the holiday season is over
• I’ll get trained for that job I want as soon as I can afford the tuition

You may delay, but time will not. The kids will grow, Christmas will come and go, your bills will keep coming, and one day you may look back on the past 40 years in amazement.

You’ll ask yourself, “Where did the time go?”

You’ll wonder, “Why am I still saying I’m going to do it ‘as soon as’ and believing the same old lie?”

You don’t have to live like that anymore. You can change as soon as you’re ready.

Are you ready?

Roadturn Challenge: Pick something you’re saying “as soon as” about. Then ask yourself if there’s any way possible you can start on that goal now. You don’t have to do anything about it. Just get honest with the person whose opinion matters most… yours.

Roadturn Principle: Say you can or say you can’t… and you’re right.

Let’s talk about it…

The great end of life is not knowledge but action.

(Quote attributed to T.H. Huxley)

I love to learn.

I love schools, desks, books, and good teachers.

I’m the type who is always enrolled in one class or another, and it could be anything from how to sing harmony, to optimizing search for local business, to identify edible wild plants.

I love the entire learning experience.

Sometimes, though, learning is just one more way to avoid action.

Rather than do the work, I can justify a delay while I learn more about the project.

Rather than go to the gym, I can watch YouTubes of exercise sets.

Rather than control my eating, I can read a book about the newest diet.

True story: One morning, I was at my desk reading a book on how to be a better father. My son walked up and asked a question. I told him we could talk later, that I needed to finish reading first.

Many times, I’d be better off just acting on what I already know. My children won’t always be there waiting for me to be ready to listen. I need to be there for them now.

Action is the great end of knowledge.

Roadturn Challenge: What is there that you’ve been thinking about, studying about, asking people about that you really could do without collecting more information? Set a deadline for yourself and keep it. Decide to act.

Roadturn Principle: Much of the time, we know what to do. The real problem isn’t lack of knowledge; it’s lack of action.

Let’s talk about it.