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10 Things Successful People Do To Stay Motivated

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What do highly successful people have that others don’t?  What contributes to their success? It has nothing to do with money or even luck.

It’s all about motivation. What do successful people do to help keep them motivated?

Here are 10 steps successful people do to keep motivated:

1. They set goals

I mean specific goals. While your ultimate goal may be to become rich, what mini, more focused, goals is it going to take to get you there?

For example, instead of saying you want to have a booming business or to own a home, start by saying you plan to develop a sound business plan or put $5,000 in your savings.

Create short-term goals that are to the point. Something that is tangible that is within your reach.

“A goal properly set is halfway reached.” – Zig Ziglar

2. They create a plan of action

What are goals without a plan to help you reach them?

Successful people know what it takes to reach their goals, and they create a plan of action that will serve as the roadmap to get them there.

Let’s take one of our goal examples. If your goal is to create a business plan, your plan of action should include writing a summary of your business idea, researching your competition, looking at different marketing strategies, researching different finance options, etc.

 

3. They schedule things

Feeling like you don’t have enough time can be overwhelming, and it can really halt your motivation.

The trick to staying motivated and getting things done is scheduling. In fact, many successful people don’t use to-do lists, they live by their calendar instead.

Break down your day into hourly, 30-minute, or even 15-minute intervals and schedule everything. I mean everything. Pencil in time to exercise, relax, run errands. It may seem tedious, but scheduling will really help structure your day and get things done.

 

4. They have an accountability partner

Peer pressure can be a wonderful thing for motivation. Share your goals, or even your calendar, with a friend or accountability partner. If nothing else gets your butt moving, having someone continually check up on you or ask you how you’re doing with your action plan, will.

 

5. They reframe negative situations  

We all have setbacks. We sometimes even completely fail. But successful people don’t let setbacks stop them. Instead, they reframe the situation and look at it differently.

Rather than spending time reflecting on what they did wrong and how they failed, they spend time thinking about what they could have done differently and how to improve the next time around.

 

Darren-Hardy---Adversity
 

6. They bounce back

Since we’re talking about setbacks, successful people reframe a bad situation, and then they move on. They assume that they alone have the power to change things, and they take the steps to make those changes.

 

7. They have fun

If you’re not having any fun, chances are you aren’t going to be motivated to do great things. If you take everything seriously, you’re going to start resenting your goal and may even discard it completely.

Sure, there are going to be elements of your action plan, or even daily tasks, that are just no fun. Nothing can change that. But let’s make them a bit more enjoyable to keep your motivation up!

Challenge yourself to get things done faster and more efficiently. Or take a second out of your day to watch a funny video online. Adding some fun, and humor, into your day can help keep your motivation going.

 

8. They write down everything

Not all ideas are going to be great ideas, and that’s fine. Motivated people write things down. Why? Because ideas don’t stay in our minds for very long and you never know when an idea will actually be great.

Writing things down also helps you keep your focus, reminding you what you’re working on, and working towards.

 

9. They meditate

What do successful people like Oprah, News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch, and Ford Motor Company Chairman Bill Ford have in common?

They all take time each day to meditate. Meditation has been known to help lower your stress, improve performance and make you more productive.

It doesn’t take hours of transcendental meditation. Sitting for 20 minutes in peace and quiet, focusing on nothing but your breath, will do wonders for your productivity and motivation.

 

10. They visualize their future

Remember those goals we talked about? Both, focused and long-term? Successful people think about what they want to achieve. They look at the bigger picture. Before he hit it big, Jim Carrey often pictured directors interested in him. Keep your goals in mind. Visualize them. Stay motivated to them.

“I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.” – Muhammad Ali

Motivation is a funny thing. It comes and it goes. But the difference between people that succeed and those that don’t is that successful people remain motivated. They use these tricks to keep them working toward their goals, so that they can achieve their dreams.

What would you add to this list that keeps you motivated? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
Image Credit: Midjourney

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

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