Success never comes easy. No matter what your goal is, you can expect to face challenges as you pursue it.

It takes motivation to keep going when things get tough. This is why those who are the most motivated often become the most successful. 

Here are 12 steps you can do daily to help you stay motivated when things get tough:

1. Display your goals on your wall

Put your goals in writing, and put them on a wall where you will see them often. On a whiteboard in your home or office (or both) is ideal. Review your goals every morning and every night, and glance at them as often as you can throughout the day. If you’re a visual person, you may find it effective to use pictures. For example, a picture of your dream car or a vacation destination you want to go to on. Remember, if your goals don’t excite you and challenge you, they probably aren’t big enough. It may be time to create some new ones.

2. Write down your priorities for the day first thing in the morning

One of the first things you should do every morning is sit down and make a list of the important activities you need to complete for the day. List them in order of priority, and then get started on the most important one first (especially if it’s the most difficult one). A huge mistake most people make is not managing their time and prioritizing their activities for the day. Instead, they spend the day responding to everything that is thrown at them. Instead of being proactive about what they need to accomplish, they become reactive to the needs of everyone else.

3. Listen to inspiring audio content

Throughout the day there are plenty of opportunities to listen to something positive. You can listen to something when you’re cooking, cleaning the house, driving your car, exercising at the gym, or jogging around your neighborhood, just to name a few. Download the audio version of some of your favorite books, or subscribe to a few podcasts about your favorite subjects. Listening to 30-60 minutes per day of educational or inspiring audio content will have a tremendous impact on your life and productivity in the long run.

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar

4. Read before you go to sleep

A great way to unwind at the end of a long day is to read a few pages of something positive and educational before you go to sleep. Doing this also helps to take your mind off of any problems or challenges you encountered during the day. After you’ve read a few pages, take a few minutes to reflect on what you just learned, and think of at least one action step you can take immediately to better handle any issues or challenges you are currently dealing with.

5. Do not allow yourself to complain

At any given moment, you can have a positive attitude or a negative attitude. There isn’t much of a grey area in between the two. Refusing to allow yourself to complain will pretty much eliminate you ever having a negative attitude. This simple trick basically forces you to remain positive and optimistic. Whenever you catch yourself about to complain about something, stop yourself and think of something you’re grateful for instead.

6. Get an accountability partner

A daily or even a weekly call with a close friend or associate has proven to be an effective way to stay on track for many people. Keep it brief. The purpose of these calls is to check in and confirm that your partner is staying focused and is still on track to achieving whatever their goals are at the time. Whether it’s exercising regularly, prospecting for new business, working on a specific project, the purpose of the call is to hold them accountable to their commitments. You do it for them, and they do it for you. It works both ways.

7. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Want to know some of the secrets to happiness? Here they are: Don’t worry about things you can’t control. Don’t major in minor things. Choose your battles wisely. Don’t argue over small things. If something is truly important to you, give it your attention. If it’s not, let it go. Sometimes it’s more important to be happy than to be right.

8. Spend more time with positive people (and less time with negative ones)

Pay more attention to who you allow to be around you. Spend your time with people who are positive, and who encourage your success. Minimize the amount of time you spend with people who are constantly complaining or being negative. You can’t change negative people, but they will change you if you hang around them long enough.

“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” – George S. Patton

9. Recite positive affirmations

Positive affirmations are statements that you recite aloud.  Create a list of positive statements that reflect the values, ideals, and beliefs you want to develop and/or uphold. Whenever you’re feeling frustrated or lacking confidence, take a moment to recite your affirmations. It may seem corny, but it works. Think of it as conditioning your mind for success.

10. Reward yourself for making progress

Never forget to reward yourself for making progress. Break your large goals into smaller milestones, and each time you accomplish one of those milestones, celebrate. It doesn’t have to be a big celebration, just make sure you do something. Every success (yes, even a small one) is worth celebrating. It is often a series of small successes that pave the way for the big ones. If you only celebrate the big ones, you may go prolonged periods of time without celebrating anything, and this can have a negative impact on your motivation. Incremental progress is still progress. Give yourself the recognition you deserve.

11. Look for the opportunity in every problem

Practice being the person who can find the hidden advantage in every seemingly negative situation. While everyone else focuses on the problem, stay focused on finding a solution. As Napoleon Hill once said: “Every failure, every adversity, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” Always look for the benefit.

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino

12. Know what you’re fighting for

The last hack for staying motivated through challenging times is to always know what you’re fighting for. Whenever you are faced with a challenge, your mind will demand a reason for your suffering. You better have a crystal clear response, because if you don’t, your mind will convince you to quit. We all have 2 voices in our head. One voice says “This is too hard. This is uncomfortable. I should quit.” The other says “Yes this is challenging, but it will be worth it. Keep going.”  You need to give that second voice a reason to speak up. Why are you doing what you’re doing? Make a list of your reasons and never forget them.

Which hack keeps you motivated? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!