You Can Usually Tell Someone's A Seriously High Achiever By These 3 Things They Do Regularly
shvetsa | PexelsI’m not going to say I’m motivated and high-achieving all the time to impress you. I’m not. I often procrastinate, and I certainly do not always feel motivated. However, my productivity has consistently far outweighed that of most other people.
Many people have asked me if I have ADHD or some kind of mental imbalance. Some have labeled me a workaholic because I like to work and create so much. Being motivated is important to me, and so I’ve spent many years looking closely into the dynamic of what happens when I’m at my best. My tendency toward high achievement usually starts with a few regular habits I've incorporated into my routine that — good news! — are super-easy to replicate in your own life.
You can usually tell someone is a high achiever by these 3 things they do regularly:
1. They wake up and choose discipline
You can set all the goals in the world, but if you’re not willing to choose to be disciplined as a lifestyle, you will live to avoid it. You can have a disciplined hour, a disciplined day, or a disciplined life. It’s up to you. Your habits and your desire to be disciplined can’t be out of alignment.
You can’t say that you choose discipline, and then eat junk food and doomscrool all day and wonder why you’re not achieving the physical and mental health you aspire to. Understanding this was huge for me. As soon as you have committed, your lifestyle choices reflect the commitment. It’s a loop. Discipline is a way of life; it’s not a hobby.
2. High achievers don't wait for motivation to hit
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This is also how confidence, passion, and purpose work. You gain energy from being in action. You don’t first feel motivated. Motivation works like the gears in a car. You must always progress through the 1st and 2nd gears to get to the 5th and 6th.
Many people are sitting in first gear, wondering how the buddy got to 5th gear, thinking he has an unfair advantage, but their buddy simply knew to move through the lower gears first. Waiting for motivation to hit before taking caution trips up many.
Clinical mental health counselor Miki Anderson agrees that motivation often comes after the fact: "The best thing you can do is take things one step at a time. If you're lying in bed, the first step is to get up. From there, plan accordingly. But remember that you likely can't do anything until you get up and start moving."
Start small and simple, then keep moving. High achievers don't wait for motivation to magically appear.
3. They tell themselves the right story
A lot of people limit themselves by buying into a story about being an ‘unmotivated person.’ You hear it all the time, and some people even see laziness as a badge of honor. If your story is one of being unmotivated, your life will mirror this belief. This is why, in a sense, if you’re lazy, it’s because you want to be lazy.
The way past this? Stop making this about you, and focus on what you’re doing next. Create a longer-term vision if you like, but the key thing is simply to let go of the idea that you are not motivated and just act. Make the next step toward high achievement small and simple. Now you are in the game.
By just doing something, you are already a higher-achieving person than most because you've proven your story incorrect. Keep following this path (and this advice!), and you'll mysteriously find that motivation comes easier and easier.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.
