I’m not going to say I’m motivated and high performing all the time to impress you. I am not. I often procrastinate and I definitely don’t always feel motivated. However, my productivity has consistently outweighed most things.

Many people have asked me if I have ADHD or some kind of mental imbalance. Some have labeled me a “freak” because I like to work and create so much. Being motivated is important to me, which is why I’ve spent many years looking more closely at the dynamics of what happens when I’m at my best.

Here are three daily habits of high achievers:

1. They choose motivation every day

You can set all the goals in the world, but if you are not willing to choose being motivated as a lifestyle, you will live to avoid it. You can have a motivated hour; a motivated day, or a motivated life. It’s up to you, not anyone – or anything else -.

Your habits and your desire to be motivated cannot be out of alignment. Treating your body well and giving yourself all the physical benefits you can get is fundamental. You can’t say you choose motivation, and then eat crap all day and wonder why you’re not motivated.

You choose the motivated life, and you can make it a very motivated life if you want it to be. Understanding this was huge for me. Once you’ve committed, your lifestyle choices reflect that commitment. It’s a loop. Motivation is a way of life – it’s not a character trait. You can’t have one or the other. Choose to be insanely motivated right now, and you will be. Try it.

According to the American Psychological Associationmotivation can be considered a choice, especially within the framework of self-determination theory, which highlights the power of feeling autonomy and agency when choosing actions, which significantly affects one’s level of motivation. Studies show that giving individuals the ability to make choices within a task or activity generally leads to increased intrinsic motivation, better performance, and more remarkable persistence.

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2. They shift like gears in a car

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This is also how confidence, passion and goal work. You get energy from being in action. You don’t feel motivated at first. Motivation works like the gears in a car. You always have to go through 1st and 2nd gears to get to 5th and 6th.

Many people sit in 1st gear and wonder how Brian got to 5th gear, thinking he has an “unfair advantage”. Brian simply knew to go through the lower gears first. This trips up many. Start small and simple. Then keep moving.

Passion and purpose have a significant positive impact on motivation, with individuals who feel passionate about their work and have a clear sense of purpose demonstrating higher levels of drive, commitment and performance than those who lack either. Basically, aligning passion with purpose leads to the most powerful motivation, according to a 2022 study by Frontiers in Psychology.

RELATED: 14 ​​Signs of a Genuinely Disciplined Person, According to Psychology

3. They tell themselves the right story

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Many people limit themselves by buying into a narrative of being one “unjustified person.” You hear it all the time, and some even see laziness as a badge of honor. If your story is about being unmotivated, your life will reflect this belief. That’s why, in a sense, if you’re lazy, it’s because you want to be lazy.

The way around this? Stop making this about you and focus on what you do next. Create one long-term vision if you want, but the key is simply to let go of the idea that you are not motivated and just act. Make the next step small and simple. Now you are in the game.

By being in action, you are already a motivated person. You have already proven your story wrong and you will find motivation comes easier and easier.

2010 research suggests that motivation is not solely about an individual’s internal state. Yet it is strongly influenced by external factors such as social context, relationships and the purpose or meaning attached to a task, meaning that “motivation is not about you” as your environment and the people around you shape it significantly. This is particularly highlighted by the concept of ‘intrinsic motivation’, which emphasizes the importance of feeling a sense of autonomy, competence and relatedness to a task in order to be genuinely motivated.

RELATED: 11 Signs of a Genuinely Motivated Person, According to Psychology

Alex Mathers is an author and coach who helps you build a personal brand that monetizes your knowledge and skills while keeping you mentally resilient.