“In order to create the life you want, you need to master keeping yourself motivated so you can take the kind of action needed to attain your goals, which for most are financial freedom and a happy life,” says Ronit Enos, Business Strategist and Ideation Coach who offers workshops on her methods. According to Enos, people who realize their goals know that it is largely dependent on motivation.

Motivation comes and goes, but one of the biggest differences between those who achieve happiness and those that don’t, is the ability to staymotivated, no matter what! “You can’t buy motivation: It has to come from inside you and you have to work on it all the time,” Enos says.

Here are her eight top tips for staying motivated:

1. Know why you want what you want- It sets roots that reach deep and helps anchor the desire for achievement.

2. Create habits- It reduces the need to summon as much willpower needed to do something.  You can exhaust your daily supply of willpower if everything you do has to be powered through.  

3. Get up early- It allows the time for doing the things needed to make you strong, healthy, and mentally and emotionally fit before the workday starts.    

4. Create a morning ritual- It centers you, helps you be in the present, and makes you mindful of the fact that you have a whole day before you. Try meditating for 15-20 minutes, going to the gym, writing down things you’re grateful for and/or goals for the day.

5. Exercise- Regular exercise is great for physical and mental health in a number of ways.  It’s a motivator: not only does it release feel-good chemicals and make you stronger, but it gives you a feeling of accomplishment that lends itself to greater self-confidence, which makes it easier to do what you’ve set out to do. 

6. Stay connected -Develop a network of other professionals, attend industry conferences/seminars and surrounded yourself with entrepreneurs and business professionals. It’s incredibly motivating and holds you accountable.

7. Feed your mind knowledge and optimism- Ted Talks, self-help books, blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, fill your mind with the wisdom and experience of the thousands of inspirational teachers and education out there. 

8. Dwell in wins- According to psychologist Rick Hanson, author of the New York Times bestseller Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence, our brains lay down neural patterns rapidly when negative events happen. On the other hand, good things happen all the time, but they don’t make as big an impression on our brains.  To counter this, Hanson recommends savoring the positive. When something good happens, dwell on it for 30 seconds or so, savoring how nice it feels: how happy you are that it came to be. “The next time you’ve worked hard for something and had a win, reward yourself. It isn’t only dogs that are motivated by treats. Humans are too!” adds Enos.