Inglés 100% Auténtico a Través de la Lectura.

‘The Motivation Habit’.

Inglés Intermedio a través de la lectura de libros reales. Con glosario y tests.

Real Language Readers

 The M otivation Habit
The 5 Essential Steps to Lasting Energy and Focus

© David Michaels and Real English Readers 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this book can be reproduced or distributed in any form whatsoever
w thout the permission of the publisher. The only exceptions are short quotations and some
non-commercial uses allowed by copyright laws. All efforts have been made to make the
contents as accurate as possible. However if there are inaccuracies the publisher cannot be
held liable. Disclaimer: This book contains a list of steps and exercises of what worked for the
author and is not supposed to be specif c advice for the reader. This book is about taking
responsib lity for your own life so any actions you take are your own choice and I cannot be held
lable. By downloading and read ng this book you are agreeing to this disclaimer.
 Table of Contents
Aprende Inglés a través de la lectura.
Getting Started
Section One: Why make motivation a habit?
Section Two: Mindset
Section Three: What type of person.
Step Four: The right environment for motivation.
Step Five: Staying motivated
Conclusion
Bonuses
Suggested 4 week program
30 random ideas for getting and then staying motivated
Aprende Inglés a través de la lectura.
Par a alumnos de inter medio a avanzado.

En algún momento en tu viaje de aprendizaje del Inglés tendrás que dar el salto desde
los materiales de aprendizaje preparados para alumnos hacia el 'auténtico Inglés'
dirigido a hablantes nativos. Desafortunadamente, el salto entre estas dos cosas es
normalmente enorme y puede ser muy desalentador.

Este libro fue originalmente escrito para hablantes nativos de Inglés, así que contiene
Inglés 100% real y no ha sido simplificado lo más mínimo. Sin embargo, esta versión
contiene traducciones de Inglés a Español de todo el idioma intermedio y avanzado.
Esto, junto con las preguntas de comprensión, ayuda a guiarte por todo el proceso para
que así puedas mejorar tu vocabulario sin esfuerzo mientras disfrutas leyendo un libro
completo.

El libro en sí es El Hábito de la Motivación'. Este directo e interesante libro cubre

métodos y técnicas para ayudarte a mejorar tu motivación y niveles de energía para que
puedas alcanzar tus objetivos más rápidamente. Este libro es perfecto para alumnos de
idiomas ya que es muy claro, está bien estructurado, y contiene cientos de palabras y
frases cotidianas a nivel de Inglés intermedio y avanzado. Así que no sólo aprenderás
como mejorar tu vida, sino que también mejorarás sin esfuerzo tu Inglés al mismo
tiempo.

Una vez hayas empezado, descubrirás que no sólo se disparará tu vocabulario, sino
también tu seguridad en tu habilidad para hablar en Inglés. Si eres capaz de leer un
libr o completo en Inglés, entonces no habrá literalmente nada que pueda pararte.

Como Usar este Libr o:

El libro está dividido en 25 secciones. A lo largo del libro hay preguntas de comprensión.
Apunta tus respuestas mientras trabajas cada sección. Encontrarás las respuestas
correctas al final de cada sección. Puedes querer usar un diccionario; sin embargo,
encontrarás que todas las palabras y frases de nivel intermedio/avanzado ya han sido
traducidas a Español. Sugerimos que leas el tex to (párrafos) primero, compruebes las
traducciones, y luego leas el tex to de nuevo. De este modo ganarás un mayor
entendimiento tanto del idioma objetivo como del significado real del libro.
One)
Getting Started

Let's get started! …Then, let's keep going. That's what the motivation habit is all about;
maintaining energy and drive for the long ter m. Motivation is a great feeling. We feel
happier, full of energy and we get more done. Unfortunately, it rarely lasts long term. Over
the years I've come to r ealize that motivation is something that needs to be
maintained, nur tur ed and ex ercised. That is to say, the more you make concer ted
effor ts to get things done and remain positive over a long period of time, the easier it will
be to feel naturally motivated. While we will need willpower to get started, if we
incor por ate systems and practices into our lives that free up our energies, motivation
will just become part of our daily routine. It will literally become a habit.

Vocabular y:

To maintain (something). - Mantener (algo)

Long ter m. - A largo plazo

To come to r ealize (something). - Llegar a darse cuenta de (algo)

To maintain (something). - Afirmar (algo)

To nur tur e (something). - Alimentar (algo)

To make a concer ted effor t. - Hacer un esfuerzo conjunto

Willpower . - Fuerza de voluntad

To incor por ate (something) into (something else). - Incorporar (algo) dentro de (otra
cosa)

Question 1: What is more importmant for maintaining motivation, willpower or habit?

Answer : All answers are at the end of each sub-chapter. Please make a note of your
answer and then check it later.
This is not a 'if you're happy and you know it clap your hands' book. There are some
'positive thinking ex ercises' but there will be no 'group hugs'. Rather it is a series of
very str aight for war d articles and ex ercises to help you start forming the great habits
that will fill you with the motivation to get stuff done. And once you start to 'get stuff done'
you will start to feel seriously motivated. It is not a miracle cure for laziness where you
simply write a 'to do list' and all of your troubles are just a distant memor y. It will
require some commitment, but once you start getting into some good habits things will
become effor tless.

Vocabular y:

Positive thinking. - Pensamiento positivo

To be str aight for war d. - Ser directo

A to do list. - Una lista de cosas por hacer

To be just a distant memor y. - Ser un recuerdo lejano

Commitment. - Compromiso

To be effor tless. - Algo que se hace sin esfuerzo

Question 2: Will you have to make an effort to get the most from this book?
Everything here is based on my own per sonal exper ience of going from being
someone who was pretty aimless and hardly ever finished anything, to someone who
has completely tur ned their life ar ound and no longer has to force themselves to do
even the simplest of tasks. Not only do I no longer have to 'psyche myself up' just to
the dishes, but I feel motivated everyday to do the bigger things as well. I am not a
doctor or a self pr oclaimed exper t, but through tr ial and er r or I managed to get
myself into gear , get some goals and go for them.

Vocabular y:

(Fr om) per sonal exper ience. - (Procedente de) ex periencias personales

To be aimless. - No tener objetivos

To tur n one's life ar ound. - Darle un giro a la vida

To psyche oneself up. - Motivarse uno mismo

A self pr oclaimed exper t. - Considerarse uno mismo un ex perto en algo

Tr ial and er r or. - Al tanteo / Ex perimentación

To get oneself into gear. - Ponerse las pilas

Question 3: Has the author always been motivated?

This book is based on one simple pr inciple: the more good habits you have the easier
it is for you to get stuff done and to feel motivated. Everything else is just getting in the
way. This is more of a 'holistic appr oach'. By that I mean that rather than just focus on
our 'thinking' we also try to look at the other aspects of our lives and how good habits
there could boost our overall motivation levels.

Vocabular y:

A pr inciple. - Un principio

To get in the way of (something). - Interponerse en el camino de (algo)

A holistic appr oach. - Un enfoque alternativo

An aspect of (something). - Un aspecto de (algo)

To boost (something). - Estimular (algo)

Let's get into the habit!!

Question 4: Does 'holistic approach' mean to only focus on one aspect of something?
One) Answers.
Question 1: What is more important for maintaining motivation, willpower or habit?

Answer 1: Habit is more important than willpower for maintaining motivation.

Question 2: Will you have to make an effort to get the most from this book?

Answer 2: Yes, you will have to make an effort to get the most from this book.

Question 3: Has the author always been motivated?

Answer 3: No, the author has not always been motivated.

Question 4: Does 'holistic approach' mean to only focus on one aspect of something?

Answer 4: No, 'holistic approach' means to look at the 'whole' and not just 'one aspect'
of something.
Two)
Section One: Why make motivation a
habit?

Get motivated
Any actions will be short lived if the under lying mindset is not changed. You can do a
diet or start a new project using willpower alone but unless something fundamental
changes you will eventually bur n-out and quit. We have all had the ex perience of
being really energized and fir ed up at the beginning of something and then have that
enthusiasm, energy and motivation just die out. Was it because the initial idea or diet
was no good? Or was it just that we didn't have the str uctur es in place so that
continuing just came naturally. If your habit is one of action then there is no r esistance.
t just is.

Vocabular y:

The under lying (something). - (Algo) subyacente

A mindset. - Una mentalidad

Willpower. - Fuerza de voluntad

Fundamental (something). - (Algo) fundamental

To bur n-out. - Estar quemado

To be fir ed up (about something). - Estar disparado (para hacer algo)

To die out. - Evaporarse

To have the (something) in place. - Tener (algo) en su lugar

Resistance. - Resistencia

Question 5: If you do not change your mindset, what will happen?

Deep down in my soul I am a pr ofoundly lazy person. However, I am also human
which means that by nature I str ive for more and want to achieve as much in this life as
possible. I'm sure that you'd agree that laziness and the feeling that you really should be
doing something with your life is not a good combination. In fact it was a r ecipe for
constantly feeling guilty about wasting time. That's not to say that I just sat around all
the time. In fact for years I would enthusiastically start something, become half
hear ted, lose motivation and then quit. Actually I wouldn't even really quit, because that
would imply some sort of motivated decisive action. I would just dr ift off cour se and
that would be that.

Vocabular y:

Pr ofoundly… - Profundamente

To str ive for (something). - Luchar por (algo)

A good/bad combination. - Una buena/mala combinación

A r ecipe for (something bad). - Tiene todos los ingredientes (para salir mal)

(To do something) enthusiastically. - (Hacer algo) con entusiasmo

Half hear ted. - Aburrido

To imply (something). - Implicar (algo)

(To take) decisive action. - (Tomar) una acción decisiva

To dr ift off cour se. - Desviarse del objetivo

Question 6: In the past did the author achieve their goals?

So what changed?

I started to notice that after the initial bur st of ener gy I would soon return to my bad
habits and start to feel un-motivated again. So instead of fighting against myself and my
habits why not just adjust them? If I could make my habits work with me rather than
against me then getting stuff done would become second natur e. Motivation would
become habit.

Vocabular y:

A bur st of ener gy. - Inyección de enegía

To adjust to (something). - Ajustarse a (algo)

To be second natur e. - Ser automático/instintivo

Question 7: Instead of fighting their bad habits, what did the author do?
Ex ercise 1, cleaning the slate. Before we get started we need to be clear about
something. The motivation we are seeking is not an exter nal thing but rather the energy
and dr ive to achieve our goals and live a more fulfilled life. To be motivated long term it
needs to come from you.

Take a few minutes to note down what you lack motivation to do. What do you keep
putting off? Chances ar e that however small these things are, you are wasting energy
avoiding them when you should just get them out of the way and focus on bigger and
better things. Now note down how long it would take you to complete this task. Then
r ate on a scale of one to ten how much this thing pains you to even think about.

So:

What task(s) do you lack motivation for?

How long would it actually take to do?

How much dr ead on a scale of one to ten do you feel even thinking about it?

I think you will see that the worry and dread you feel is totally dispr opor tionate to the
actual task. When you look at it in the clear light of day there's absolutely nothing to
worry about. Just set aside a few minutes a day, or a few hours a week to get this stuff
done. t's getting in the way. Avoiding it is a bad habit that is using up valuable energy.

Vocabular y:

To clean the slate. - Hacer borrón y cuenta nueva

Exter nal. - Ex terno

To have the dr ive to (do something). - Sentir el impulso de (hacer algo)

To have a fulfilled life/ To feel fulfilled. - Tener una vida plena / Sentirse realizado

To put (something) off. - Posponer (algo)

The chances ar e that…. - Lo más probable es que…

To get (something) out of the way. - Eliminar (algo)

To r ate (something) on a scale of one to ten. - Evaluar (algo) en una escala de uno a
diez

To dr ead (something). - Temer (algo)

To be dispr opor tionate to (something else). - Ser desproporcionado en relación a

(otra cosa)
In the clear light of day. - Con claridad

To set aside (something). - Dejar a un lado (algo) / Reservar (algo)

Question 8: Is motivation an ex ternal or internal thing?

Going forward. We will look at how to form good habits in the nex t ex ercise but here are
a few ideas on dealing with tasks you avoid. If at all possible try to automate things
like bill payments and anything else which can be automated. Nex t is to either deal with
these things as soon as they ar ise or to allocate a certain time each week to addr ess
them. Make sure that whatever method you choose you stick to it for at least a month. I
would also recommend buying a whiteboard and noting down things you need to keep
on top of. Then just clear off the tasks as they get done. They say that 'out of sight is
out of mind' so make sure that it is in sight and that you can't just ignore it.

Vocabular y:

To automate (something). - Automatizar (algo)

(When things) ar ise. - (Cuando) surgen (las cosas)

to allocate (things). - Asignar (cosas)

To addr ess (things). - Tratar (cosas)

To stick to (doing something). - Persistir en (hacer algo)

Out of sight is out of mind. - Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente

Question 9: What should you automate?

Two) Answers.

Question 5: If you do not change your mindset, what will happen?

Answer 5: If you do not change your mindset, any action you make will not last long.

Question 6: In the past did the author achieve their goals?

Answer 6: No, in the past the author did not achieve their goals.

Question 7: Instead of fighting their bad habits, what did the author do?

Answer 7: The author adjusted their habits so they worked for him.

Question 8: Is motivation an ex ternal or internal thing?

Answer 8: Motivation is an internal thing.

Question 9: What should you automate?

Answer 9: Bill payments and anything else possible.

Three)
Why Focus on Habit?

'Habit: A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up'
Oxford English Dictionary.

I think that we can agree that we all have some habits. Some good and some bad. But
the quality (of habits) that we will be using to our advantage is that they are regular
and long term. That's what we want. We want to feel motivated and full of energy long
term. We want to start things and feel the energy and drive to see them thr ough to
conclusion. I've read countless books and websites about motivation and have felt
that while they all contain ex cellent methods, they don't take into account that you
need more than just good techniques to stay motivated. You also need good practices
and habits so you can continue using these techniques over a long period of time. If you
are using willpower alone to get stuff done, it will not last. If getting stuff done is a habit,
it becomes almost effortless; no r esistance.

What do we mean by habit?

Subconscious) You are not really thinking about it. For ex ample you probably don't will
(force) yourself to put your socks on in the morning, it's just what you do naturally.

Repeated action) Something you do naturally without having to 'think it thr ough'.

Effortless) It doesnt require pure willpower to complete the action.

Vocabular y:

To use (something) to one's advantage. - Usar (algo) en beneficio propio

To see (something) thr ough to its conclusion. - Ver que (algo) se desarrolla hasta el
final

Countless. - Innumerables

To take into account that…. - Tener en cuenta que…

Resistance. - Resistencia

To think (something) thr ough. - Analizar (algo) detalladamente

Question 10: Do you just need good techniques to stay motivated?

Three) Answers.
Question 10: Do you just need good techniques to stay motivated?

Answer 10: No, you also need good practices and habits.
Four)
Technique to form new habits

t is commonly said that it only takes 3 weeks to form a new habit, whether this is
correct or not, it is certainly true that new habits can be formed and they can be formed
pretty quickly. This book contains lots of areas in your life where if good habits were
formed, your general energy and motivation levels would rise. All you really need is the
structure and the initial willpower to get started, then let habit take over.

Schedules.

As much as possible we want to r ely on schedules and routine rather than willpower to
form new habits. The idea is to use a set schedule until it becomes second natur e
and you don't need it anymore. This may seem too simple but it is an ex cellent way to
keep your self accountable and add some routine so you can get stuff done effectively
and feel motivated by your own progress.

Vocabular y:

To r ely on (something). - Confiar en (algo)

A set schedule. - Un horario fijo

To be second natur e. - Ser algo mecánico / automático

To keep oneself accountable. - Pedirte cuentas a ti mismo

Question 11: Why is it a good idea to set schedules?

Ex ercise 2, Habit tick list. Either on a piece of paper or on your computer draw a table
with 32 columns. At the top of the page write the title Daily Habits' then at the top of the
first two columns write 'Time' and 'Task'. Then above the rest write the date, starting from
today until a month from now. Then do the same thing again but title the table Weekly
Habits' and only have enough columns for a month. Also make sure that you change the
'Time' column to 'Day' instead. (so 'Day', 'Task'+ 4/5weeks).

As you work through this book, start to add things you would like to make habits below
the 'Tasks' column. Then if possible note down when you would like to do it during the
day in the 'Time' column (or what day of the week for the weekly habits). Then everyday
as you do the task just tick it off under the correct date. Make sure that you put these
'tick lists' somewhere you will see them. Also make sure that you do this for at least a
month. At the end of the month you may find that you are doing it naturally and no longer
need the tick list. If not, please continue until doing the tasks becomes habit. By adding
this structure into your life you won't need to r ely so much on willpower. Once you get
into the flow you will feel a lot more motivated to keep on going. It's amazing the
difference actually seeing the progress we've made written down makes.

Vocabular y:

To tick (things) off (a list). - Tachar (cosas) de (una lista)

A tick list. - Una lista de comprobación

To r ely on (something). - Confiar en (algo)

To get into the flow. - Dejarse llevar

Question 12: What should you do every day as you complete a task?
Four) Answers.

Question 11: Why is it a good idea to set schedules?

Answer 11: So you start doing things naturally.

Question 12: What should you do every day as you complete a task?

Answer 12: You should tick each task off the list as you do it.
Five)
A word on verbalizing and writing things down

If you want to remain motivated to do things then they need to be real to you. Throughout
this book I encourage you to both write things down and to say them out aloud. It's a
strange thing, but once you say or write something it becomes more real than if you were
to just think it. Make it official that you are doing this thing. t is usually easier to stay
well organised if you write things down. Also for many people it helps them remember
things more easily.

Exer cise 3, Buy a notebook. If you don't own one already please buy both a small
notebook and a small whiteboard. Get into the habit of writing things down. Also
whiteboards are ex cellent for to do lists' and keeping tr ack of what you have already
achieved. Try to make a habit of leaving the whiteboard somewhere you will see it so it
reminds you what you should be doing. Also make sure that you carry the notebook
around whenever pr actical.

Vocabular y:

To get into the habit of…. - Desarrollar el hábito de…

To keep tr ack of (something). - Llevar un registro de (algo)

Pr actical. - Práctico

Question 13: Why should you write things down?

Five) Answer.
Question 13: Why should you write things down?

Answer 13: Because then they become real to you.

Six)
What is motivation?

When we say "I need motivation" or "I want to feel motivated to…", I think we are
r efer r ing to two connected but slightly different things. Firstly, we want to feel
generally energetic and positive about things. Secondly we want to feel energy and
positivity towards doing a certain task or achieving a certain goal. I would argue that
once you change your mindset and habits and start to feel motivated to achieve a
certain task then the 'general motivation' will come naturally. Although feeling motivated
feels good we are not aiming at 'a general feeling of wellbeing', we are aiming for the
energy and will to achieve things both big and small.

Vocabular y:

To r efer to (something). - Referirse a (algo)

Positivity. - Positivismo

To achieve (something). - Conseguir (algo)

A mindset. - Actitud

Question 14: Apart from a 'general feeling of wellbeing' what are we aiming at?
But if you want to do something why dont you just do it? That's a good question but
easily answered. Unfortunately, achieving goals requires a lot of work. And work requires
long term energy and motivation. So we start with the best of intentions but when we
don't get results immediately, we lose momentum and then interest.

Shouldn't I just make a to-do list and then work through it? Yes that's a great technique
but if it is not in a larger fr amewor k how long do you think it will last? Instead of just
changing one aspect and being disappointed when it doesn't last why not
incor por ate it into a routine that comes naturally?

Aren't I feeling unmotivated because of lack of self esteem or not knowing what my
goals are? I don' know, maybe. That's why you should put some structure into your life
so these things have the space to thr ive and arise naturally. Stop fighting the tide and
make it work to your advantage.

Vocabular y:

The best of intentions. - La mejor de las intenciones

Momentum. - Ímpetu/Empuje

A fr amewor k . - Un marco

One aspect of (something). - Un aspecto de (algo)

To incor por ate (something) into (something else). - Incorporar (algo) a (otra cosa)

Self esteem. - Autoestima

To thr ive. - Prosperar

The tide. - La marea / La corriente

Question 15: What does achieving long term goals require?

Ex ercise 4, What does 'motivation' mean to you?: Why did you pick up this book? Was it
to gain motivation in general or do you have a specific goal in mind? Take five minutes
to picture a motivated you. Where are you? How are you feeling? What are you doing?
t's important to have a destination to shoot for , so try to get a really clear picture of
what you want and how you want to feel. Remember to write it down.

Ex ercise 5, When were you most motivated? Ok maybe you can't remember ex actly but
try to think about a time when you achieved something pretty big. How did you feel
during the process? What was the structure of your day? What was your routine? Did you
have to for ce your self to feel motivated or did it just happen as you were str iving for
your goal? Write down everything with as much detail as possible. If you notice any
good habits that benefitted you, write them down too and maybe incorporate them into
the 'Habit Tick List' you made in Ex ercise 2.

Vocabular y:

To shoot for (something). - Aspirar a (algo)

To for ce oneself to do (something). - Obligarse uno mismo a hacer (algo)

To str ive for (something). - Luchar por conseguir (algo)

Question 16: What is it important to have in order to maintain motivation?

Six) Answers.

Question 14: Apart from a 'general feeling of wellbeing' what are we aiming at?

Answer 14: We are aiming to get the 'energy and will' to get things done.

Question 15: What does achieving long term goals require?

Answer 15: t requires a lot of work.

Question 16: What is it important to have in order to maintain motivation?

Answer 16: t is important to have a destination (a goal) to shoot for.

Seven)
Willpower. Willenskraft.

When we think of willpower we think of making a conscious effor t to achieve or

maintain something. While this is an ex cellent way to get started (to get the motor
running), if you are literally forcing yourself to do something through your will then it's
going to be exhausting and probably shor t lived. We've all had jobs that we didn't like
and had to use willpower to get thr ough. But either we eventually quit or we get so
used to hating the job that that becomes a habit as well. Dont get me wrong, we need
willpower. Throughout this book we are going to need it to start implementing some
good motivational habits. But remember willpower is the spar k that ignites the engine,
not the fuel that keeps us going long term. By solely relying on willpower you are
setting your self up for disappointment or ex haustion.

Vocabular y:

To make a conscious effor t to (do something). - Hacer un esfuerzo consciente por

(conseguir algo)

To be exhausting. - Ser agotador

To be shor t lived. - Ser breve/efímero

To get thr ough (something). - Sobrevivir a (algo)

To implement (something). - Poner en marcha (algo)

A spar k. - Una chispa

To ignite (something). - Encender (algo)

Solely…. - Únicamente…

To set oneself up for disappointment. - Prepararse para estar decepcionados

Question 17: What is 'willpower' good for?

Ex ample of willpower. I once had two jobs that I hated back to back. I only lasted for a
few months in the first one but I stayed for a few years at the second one. Now they were
actually quite similar ex cept that I needed willpower alone to stay at the first one, but
with the second one I was starting to think that this was normal. Endur ing something
that I didn't enjoy had become a habit. So let's use willpower to get started and habit to
keep going (but hopefully in something we like!).

Ex ercise 6, Can you force yourself to do things? I read a book recently which
encouraged its readers to take cold showers for a week. I lasted 3 days. Not because I
disagreed with the message of the book (how to conquer things you avoid doing), in
fact I really liked it. But because they had made their point and cold showers ser ved
no pur pose for me in the long run. Forcing yourself to do things that you know you will
not continue is pointless. However forcing yourself to get started on a sustainable path
is sometimes essential. Diets don't work, fundamental lifestyle changes do. Remember,
the first 10 minutes of any activity are generally the hardest, once you've engaged your
br ain and got started then that's the majority of the battle won.

Vocabular y:

Back to back (something). - Estar hasta la coronilla de (algo)

To endur e (something). - Soportar (algo)

To conquer (something). - Conquistar (algo)

To make one's point. - Decir algo importante

To ser ve no pur pose. - No servir para nada

To be sustainable. - Ser sostenible

Fundamental. - Fundamental

To engage one's br ain. - Enganchar tu cerebro para que haga algo.

Question 18: In the ex ample, were the author's two jobs similar or totally different?
Try these two things this week.

The first is to ex ercise for 20 minutes a day, or read a book for 20 minutes or do
something that helps improve you but requires willpower to get started. You will notice
that after 10 minutes you forget about the willpower that it took to get started and just get
into it. If you find that it benefits you and gives you energy then add it to the list from
Ex ercise 2.

The second is to do something that also requires willpower to get started but you have
absolutely no intention of continuing. For me it would be something like following
sport closely or cooking complicated recipes, neither of which I par ticular ly enjoy.
Choose something that serves little to no purpose in your life. While doing this task try to
notice how much effort it took to just get started and how much energy it took to continue
with it throughout the week.

I'm sure that after a few days you will see the difference in how you approach the two
tasks. Both require willpower at the beginning but one gets easier over time. There are
always going to be tasks that we have to do that dr ain our motivation, like paying bills
and doing tax r etur ns, but for the rest of it we should learn to pick our battles. I am
not saying that you should only do things that you like doing, but try to pick new habits
that will benefit you in the long run. For ex ample 'following complicated recipes' may be
a good habit for you because it teaches you to follow instructions ex actly and do things
in a logical manner. But for me it serves no purpose as I can already do those things.

Vocabular y:

To have no intention of (doing something). - No tener la más mínima intención de

(hacer algo)

Par ticular ly. - Particularmente

To dr ain (ener gy etc). - Agotar (energía, etc.)

A tax r etur n. - La declaración de la renta

To pick one's battles. - Elegir nuestras batallas

Question 19: What two activities does the author suggest you try?
Seven) Answers.

Question 17: What is 'willpower' good for?

Answer 17: t is good for getting started.

Question 18: In the ex ample, were the author's two jobs similar or totally different?

Answer 18: The two jobs were similar.

Question 19: What two activities does the author suggest you try?

Answer 19: To do something that improves you, and also something that you don't
intend on continuing with.
Eight)
Being lazy is exhausting

Before we continue forming good habits and making motivation a habit I just want to
really hammer home why we need to get off the sofa and get stuff done. Being lazy is
absolutely exhausting. Truly. Ok, maybe if you have no aspir ations then you may like
it but if you are reading this book then you probably want to get up, get motivated and
achieve something. Let's face it, we've all done it. Sitting around the house all day even
though we know we should be doing things. We may even have a specific goal that we
keep putting off. Let me ask you something. How does it feel to do this long term?
Pretty bad, right? You start to feel heavy and guilty and the whole thing becomes a
vicious cycle. In fact if you just put the r emote contr ol down for a second and did the
dishes or replied to that email you'd probably feel a lot better and more motivated to do
other things. Lethar gy can be a real vicious cycle, you're inactive because you're tired,
and you're tired because you're inactive. If you want to break this cycle for good we need
to create some consistency so motivation can flour ish.

Vocabular y:

To hammer home (a point). - Recalcar (un tema, una cuestión)

To be exhausting. - Ser agotador

To have aspir ations of…. - Tener aspiraciones de…

To put (something) off. - Posponer (algo)

To be guilty. - Ser culpable

A vicious cycle. - Un círculo vicioso

A r emote contr ol. - Un contr ol r emoto

Lethar gy. - Letargo

Consistency. - Consistencia

To flour ish. - Florecer

Question 20: Why is lethargy a vicious cycle?

Ex ercise 7 (Optional, only do this if you are up for it), Worry on pur pose. One of the
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy* techniques for dealing with Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder is to force the patients to 'worry on demand'. This is so ex hausting for
patients that they often can't continue worrying. Let's do a quick ex periment. Spend a
few minutes thinking about tasks you have been worrying about. Tiring isn't it? Ok, you
may not be actively worrying when you are being lazy and not taking action, but for me
at least the feeling that I should be making the most of my time is always at the back of
my mind.

*Stop Obsessng, Edna Foa Ph.D, Reid Wilson Ph.D. P:86.

Vocabular y:

To be up for (something). - Tener ganas de hacer (algo)

On pur pose. - A conciencia

(To do something) on demand. - (Hacer algo) a petición

At the back of one's mind. - Tener algo en la mente

Question 21: Do you have to do Ex ercise 7?

Eight) Answers.

Question 20: Why is lethargy a vicious cycle?

Answer 20: Because 'you're inactive because you're tired, and you're tired because
you're inactive'.

Question 21: Do you have to do Ex ercise 7?

Answer 21 : No, it's optional. You do not have to do it.

Nine)
Section Two: Mindset

The whole purpose of this book is to create good everyday habits in all aspects of one's
life. That way motivation can arise and continue naturally. However, probably the biggest
obstacle is going to be your own mind. If you are like me then you have two 'voices',
one telling you 'you're doing great, keep going', and the other one telling you 'you never
achieve anything, you might as well quit now and have an ice cream'. If you are of
relatively sound mind then it's just a case of trying to listen to the positive voice more
and more until the other one doesn't bother you. This is a matter of discipline, but the
more times we choose to be positive, the more naturally it will come. Try to formally
acknowledge that you are having a negative thought by saying/thinking 'I'm having that
useless/negative thought again'. Try to catch yourself before you chase after it and get
caught up in the negative emotion. This is a great habit to get into, why not put it on your
tick list?

Vocabular y:

Aspects of…. - Aspectos de…

An obstacle. - Un obstáculo

Might as well….. - Bien podrías…

(To be of) sound mind. - Estar en tu sano juicio

Discipline. - Disciplina

To acknowledge (something). - Reconocer (algo)

Question 22: What is the biggest obstacle to motivation?

Nine) Answer.

Question 22: What is the biggest obstacle to motivation?

Answer 22: Your own mind is the biggest obstacle.

Ten)
Get into the right frame of mind
Sometimes we just need to shut out all of the noise, close the door and focus on being
in the present. t's hard to remain motivated if we can barely focus on what we are doing.
Our minds jump from one thought to the nex t and we rarely take the time to step back
and see the whole pictur e. Once you can consistently remain present and not just be
tossed ar ound by your own thoughts you will find that motivation will be less and less
of a problem. You are just doing what you are doing and not constantly wanting to quit
and do something else.

Vocabular y:

To shut out (something). - Bloquear (algo)

(To take a) step back. - (Dar) un paso atrás

To see the whole pictur e. - Tener una visión más amplia

To be tossed ar ound. - Ser zarandeado

Question 23: What should you focus on?

Ex ercise 8, Be here now. Whether you want to call it meditation, prayer or just
r eflection try to give yourself 10-20 minutes of the day (morning is best as your mind is
not racing around yet) to just clear your mind and concentrate on being in the present
moment. I would recommend finding a quiet area. If possible, breathe through your nose
and from your lower stomach, not your chest. This will take some practice but here is a
video on how to do it. Also I would recommend doing this sitting up and with your eyes
open (pick a spot on the floor about a meter or two away to focus on). This will stop you
from daydreaming too much. Also, try to focus on your breathing at first. Perhaps count
your breaths in series of tens (you may find that even this is difficult at first). If
distr acting thoughts arise just acknowledge them and try not to chase them, just let
them go.

Vocabular y:

Reflection/to r eflect on (something). - Reflex ión / Reflex ionar sobre (algo)

To be distr acting. - Que distraen

Question 24: When meditating how should you breathe?

Ex ercise 9, Be here now, and now, and now. Throughout your day try to remain as
present and engaged as possible. If you start to wander , try to bring your focus back to
your present situation. The more you can focus on now the less you are going to worry
about nonsense and the more motivated you are going to feel. I know this is easier
said than done, but remember to be consistent over a long period of time and it will get
easier. I personally have a sign above my computer which says is what you are doing
right now bringing you closer to your goal? If not, then get back to it!'.

Vocabular y:

To wander (ar ound). - Vagar sin rumbo

Nonsense. - Tonterías

(To be) easier said than done. - Es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo

Question 25: Why should you focus on 'now'?

Ten) Answers.

Question 23: What should you focus on?

Answer 23: You should focus on the present.

Question 24: When meditating how should you breathe?

Answer 24: You should breathe through your nose and from your stomach.

Question 25: Why should you focus on 'now'?

Answer 25: So you won't focus on nonsense and you will remain motivated.
Eleven)
Just a decision

I realized a long time ago that for the most par t, my life and my happiness were largely
my own r esponsibilities. Our environment and the people around us are an influence
but sometimes you have to just take responsibility and decide 'I dont care what others
say, I'm doing this and I'm going to succeed'. In the end it's just a decision, put in the
effort to be positive and move forward or give in and blame the world (Of course if you
have suffered some major tr auma then things may be different, I can't say). Decide that
you are no longer a smoker. Decide that you are going to start a company. Make a
decision and then make sure that all of the small decisions that come after fit your goal.

Vocabular y:

For the most par t. - En su mayoría

A r esponsibility. - Una responsabilidad

An influence. - Una influencia

To blame (someone/something). - Echarle la culpa a (alguien /algo)

A tr auma. - Un trauma

Question 26: Whose responsibility is your life and happiness?

Eleven) Answer.

Question 26: Whose responsibility is your life and happiness?

Answer 26: Your own.

Twelve)
Consistency is key

How did you gain that weight? Why do you never finish things? Why are you in a job that
you hate? People tend to think in terms of events, like 'I'm fat because I eat junk food'.
While that may be true we tend to forget that we usually didnt get to where we are
because of one thing, because of one decision. We get fat etc because of thousands of
tiny bad decisions. Every time we choose the chocolate over the piece of fruit is a
small step in the wrong direction. Our own choices or actions accumulate until we
arrive in a certain situation. Think about how you learnt your own name for a second. You
didn't learn it because your mother said it 100 times in a day, but because it was said to
you consistently over a long period of time until you just knew that was your name*.
This is what we want to do with our good habits, including thinking positively. We want
to keep making small correct decisions until they accumulate into big results.

*I saw this example in language learn ng website Al Japanese Al the T me.

Vocabular y:

To tend to (do something). - Tender a (hacer algo)

To choose 'A' over 'B'. - Elegir 'A' sobre 'B'

To accumulate (something). - Acumular (algo)

Question 27): Do we get to where we are now from one decision?

A word about 'Spaced Repetition'. An ex ample of accumulated small actions resulting in
big results is 'spaced repetition'. How this works is that you learn a small piece of
information and then are tested on it a few days later. You are then tested again after 4
days, then 8 days, then 16 days and so on. The idea is that by being systematically
tested on the same information over increasingly longer periods your memory will get
stronger and you will remember naturally. Language learners use such software as Anki
(which automates the testing) to remember huge amounts of data in a systematic and
long standing way. Essentially the hard work is done at the beginning and then the rest
is just maintaining. This is what we want to do, we want to introduce great habits
consistently at the beginning so they become easy to maintain in the future.

Vocabular y:

Systematically. - Sistemáticamente

Long standing (something). - (Algo) de larga duración

To maintain (something). - Mantener (algo)

Question 28: What is the name of the software mentioned above?

Some ex amples of small actions equaling big results.

If you write 2000 words a day (which is not that many if you are writing a book) that is
730000 words a year. Stephen King is famous for sticking to this and he has been
pr olific for years.

If you do 22 minutes of moder ate car dio exer cise a day that is over 150 minutes a
week. This doesn't sound a lot but it is pretty good if you maintain it throughout the year.
Actually the American Heart Association recommends (at least)150 minutes of
moderate ex ercise a week.

If you save $20 a week, with compound inter est even as low as 5% it will be over
$130000 in 40 years.

Promote your business in a different way each week. You will have 52 promotions at the
end of the year.

Swap an ex tra piece of junk food for something healthy. You'll be eating well in no time.

Ex ercise 10, Bite-sized. This is an ongoing ex ercise. Instead of going crazy and being
full-on at the beginning then losing momentum quickly, try to do things in small but
consistent segments. For ex ample, I have been learning jump rope (skipping) for 3
months and am now quite good. I only practice for 15 minutes a day and try to do it even
if I'm not in the mood. A few years ago I would have practiced for an hour a day and then
quit after a few weeks because it was 'taking up to much time'. Now, I try to do things as
consistently as possible and that often means doing less but over a long period of time.

Vocabular y:

To be pr olific. - Ser prolífico

Moder ate. - Moderado

Car dio exer cise. - Ejercicio cardiovascular

Compound inter est. - Interés compuesto

To swap 'A' for 'B'. - Cambiar 'A' por 'B'

To be full-on. - Ser intensivo

A segment. - Un segmento

Question 29: How many words does Steven King write a day?
Twelve) Answers.

Question 27): Do we get to where we are now from one decision?

Answer 27: No, it's usually through many small decisions.

Question 28: What is the name of the software mentioned above?

Answer 28: Anki.

Question 29: How many words does Steven King write a day?

Answer 29: 2000

Thirteen)
Section Three: What type of person.

t is commonly accepted that everyone is different. No two snowflakes are the same, etc
etc. Yet with advice, when it is most needed, this concept seems to go r ight out of the
window. People just hand out advice without thinking about who they are giving it to.
What works for one person may not work for you, especially when dealing with habits
and motivation. So let's take a moment to think about ourselves. What works for us?
What keeps us motivated?

Ex ercise 11, Some bad habits. When you try to do something positive like work on a
project, do some ex ercise, choose the healthy option to eat, do you tend to do something
else instead? I would argue that this is just a bad habit which can be easily broken. For
ex ample, do you sit down to work on that business you've always wanted to start and
just quickly check your emails, then Facebook, then YouTube and before you know it
you are reading an article about vegetarian celebrities? Be honest, write down as many
ways that you sabotage or distr act yourself as possible.

Here are some common ones:

Sit down to do some work and end up surfing the internet.

Watch TV before you do some exercise and then never get around to the exercise.

Put things off until the weekend and then dont bother to do them because weekends are
for relaxing.

Decide to eat healthily but then buy the same junk at the store.

Are there any other bad habits you have that are holding you back? Try to think of the
opposite of your bad habits and then add them to your 'good habit tick list'.

Vocabular y:

(For something to) go r ight out of the window. - Tirar algo por la ventana

To sabotage (something). - Sabotear (algo)

To distr act. - Distraer

To get ar ound to (doing something). - Encontrar el tiempo para (hacer algo)

To put doing (something) off. - Posponer hacer (algo)

To be holding one back. - Ser un lastre

Question 30: Do people tend to hand out the same advice to everyone?
Ex ercise 12, Your good habits. Here's some surprising news, you probably already have
some/lots of really good habits. Funnily enough it will be harder for you to identify
these than it was with your bad habits. Try to note down at least 10 good habits you
have.

Here are some areas to think about.

Human inter actions: Do you always ask questions? Do you hold the door open for
others? Do you always reply to emails? Do you say please and thank you? Do you
remember people's birthdays? Do you organize events?

Lifestyle: Do you brush your teeth twice a day? Do you floss? Do sleep enough? Do you
make your bed? Do you clean your house regularly? Do you walk when possible and
leave the car at home? Do you turn the light off if you are not in the room? Do you drink
enough water? Do you do any ex ercise?

Work: Are you always on time? Are you rarely off sick? Do you try to hit your deadlines?
Are you cour teous to your colleagues? Do you try to do your best?

As you can see, you already have quite a few good habits. Were they difficult to
acquire? They probably weren't. You probably just did one small action after another over
a long period of time until it was automatic. Do they make your life easier? They
probably do. To be honest these habits alone probably don't make you feel 'motivated' but
they free up the energy you need to get the important stuff done.

Vocabular y:

Funnily enough…. - Curiosamente…

Inter actions between 'A' and 'B'. - Interacciones entre 'A' y B'

To floss (your teeth). - Usar hilo dental (en tus dientes)

To be cour teous. - Ser cortés

Question 31: Does the author think you already have lots of good habits?
Thirteen) Answers.

Question 30: Do people tend to hand out the same advice to everyone?

Answer 30: Yes they do.

Question 31: Does the author think you already have lots of good habits?

Answer 31: Yes.

Fourteen)
Stick or carrot?

Take a moment to think about your work or school life. If you have ever had a teacher or
a manager you will know that there are two techniques they use to get you to achieve
results. One is 'the stick', where there would be a punishment if you failed to meet
expectations. The other is 'the carrot' which is a reward for doing well. In the past,
which have you responded better to? Most people r espond to a mix ture of the two, but
some people achieve greater results under one or the other. Actually we want to reach the
stage where neither is necessary and we just 'get it done'.

Vocabular y:

Stick or car r ot. - Palo o zanahoria / Castigo o recompensa

Expectations. - Ex pectativas

To r espond to (something). - Responder a (algo)

Question 32: What does 'stick' refer to? What does 'carrot' refer to?
Ex ercise 13, Reward or punishment? Quickly make a list of 8-10 small things that you
have been putting off doing.

For ex ample:

Replying to an email.

Ringing your mother.

Cleaning your wallet.

Organizing your bills.

Cleaning your fridge.

Changing the oil in your car.

Cutting the grass.

Doing your homework.

Organizing the files on your computer.

Divide the list into two halves. You now have two days to complete both lists. If you
complete list one you can tr eat your self to guilt free ice cream (or anything else that
you would not receive usually). If you dont complete list two, you must take $20 and
send it to someone you don't like.*

Which task did you complete first? Which task did you complete quickest?

*I f rst encountered this idea of sending money as punishment on thefastlaneforum.com

Going for war d: If you find that one or both of these techniques work well, then why not
apply them to everything you are trying to achieve? Completed today's tasks? Great,
have a reward. Didnt complete them? Too bad, here's a punishment. Remember,
consistency is the key. We want habits to form. I suggest that you take the time to
arrange a number of treats and punishments in advance. Perhaps you have vouchers that
you can use whenever you hit the target. Or pre-written checks that you can send to your
least favorite political par ty if you miss a deadline. After a few months of doing this,
you won't even really need them anymore, you'll just be conditioned to hit the targets.
And if you're hitting targets, you'll feel motivated. At the beginning it will be hard but in
the end it will be habit.

Vocabular y:

To tr eat oneself to (something nice). - Recompensarte a ti mismo con (algo bonito)

Too bad. - ¡Qué lástima!

A political par ty. - Un partido político

To be conditioned to (do something). - Verte condicionado a (hacer algo)

Question 33: If you completed today's tasks, what do you get?

Fourteen) Answers.

Question 32: What does 'stick' refer to? What does 'carrot' refer to?

Answer 32: Stick' refers to a punishment. 'Carrot' refers to a reward.

Question 33: If you completed today's tasks, what do you get?

Answer 33: You get a reward for completing the tasks.

Fifteen)
Goal Setting

For long term motivation, in my opinion goals are absolutely essential. Actually in life
they are essential. I can remember the ex act moment my life turned around, it was when
I read the following quote. 'If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is
favorable'*. This was like a lightning bolt to the head for me. No wonder I felt
unmotivated and despondent, I was just banging around like a ball in a pinball
machine. I dr ifted from job to job and was slowly losing energy. I knew at that moment
that I needed a pur pose and that it didn't necessarily have to be a job or a career. t
didn't have to be what everyone else ex pected me to be or do but it needed to be
definite.

Napoleon Hill in his book 'Think and Grow Rich' had this to say about having a definite
goal: 'Definiteness of purpose. Knowing what you want is the first and, perhaps, the most
important step towards the development of persistence. A strong motive forces you to
surmount many difficulties'(page 181).

*Seneca

Vocabular y:

No wonder … - Con razón…

To be despondent. - Estar desanimado

To dr ift fr om (this) to (that). - Vagar de un lado para el otro

A pur pose. - Un propósito

A motive. - Un motivo

To sur mount (something). - Superar (algo)

Question 34: What is absolutely essential for long term motivation?

"How can I decide on a goal?" I see this question posted online all the time, but
unfortunately it's different for everyone. Here is how I got started.

What am I not happy with in my life? This is a great place to start as we may not know
what we want but we sure as hell know what we don't want. I knew that I was a
miser able employee and that I'd be better off self employed.

What skills do I have? In order to reach a goal you need to either have the necessary
skills or be willing to acquir e or hire them. I knew that I didn't want to retrain but that I
didn't mind learning a few skills off my own back. I knew that I was pretty well
organized, enjoyed research and that I could write.

How long do I have to achieve this goal? Is this just a general goal or a specific goal. Is
it 'I want to spend more time with my family' or is it 'I want to start a company'. While the
for mer is admirable, we will concentrate on the latter as we want to get momentum
so we feel naturally motivated. I personally wanted to get started immediately.

Is there anything else I can leverage? Is there anything that you have that could be
changed slightly to get you started. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do, but I
did have a course that I'd written years ago. Even though I had no intention of going into
self publishing, I decided to change the course into a book and publish it. By
nar r owing down my options and working with what I had, I got a goal. It may not have
been ideal, but it was real and realistic. I have since published 10 books back to back
mostly on the same subject.

Please remember, this doesn't have to be your 'goal for life'. If you have one that's great
but don't feel that you have to find your sole purpose in life in the nex t 5 minutes. If
you're anything like me, your purpose in life is constantly changing. By setting a goal
you are at least getting the motor running.

Vocabular y:

To be miser able. - Estar triste

To be better off (doing 'A' r ather than 'B'). - Estar mejor (haciendo una cosa en vez
de otra)

To acquir e (something). - Adquirir (algo)

The for mer /the latter. - El primero / El último.

Momentum. - Impulso

Lever age. - Ventaja

To nar r ow (something) down. - Reducir (algo)

Sole. - El único
Question 35: Do you need to decide on your 'goal for life'?
Ex ercise 14, Get ex cited. If you do not have a goal then I highly suggest that you get
one! Seriously, having a goal can be a real boost for your motivation levels. Even if the
goal is to become better at what you are already doing, that is still a goal. Still something
to str ive for, to get up for in the morning, to get ex cited about.

Over the nex t few days start using the 4 step process outlined above to really start
thinking about your goals. If you can't focus on the long term then just concentrate on
some short term goals to get started.

Vocabular y:

To str ive for (something). - Luchar por (algo)

To outline (something). - Subrayar (algo)

Question 36: If you can't focus on the long term what should you do?
Fifteen) Answers.

Question 34) What is absolutely essential for long term motivation?

Answer 34: Goals are essential.

Question 35: Do you need to decide on your 'goal for life'?

Answer 35: No you don't.

Question 36: If you can't focus on the long term what should you do?

Answer 36: Just focus on some short term goals.

Sixteen)
Planning
Are you a planner? If you're not then I have bad news. You need to be, at least at the
beginning. You need a plan in order to progress, and if you don't progress you will lose
motivation and then it's game over. Take a look at yourself for a second. Take a look at
today. Did you set out to achieve anything? Was it part of a bigger goal? Did you plan the
steps in order of pr ior ity and then work through them?

How to plan effectively. Now we don't have the time to go fully into all of the different
techniques and what works best for different sized projects. But here is the four step
for mula I used to write 10 books in a year (this required a lot of detailed planning). You
probably already do a lot of this, but just to be clear I thought I'd include it.

One) Start with the end in mind. Write down ex actly what the end goal is. Do this for
both the whole project and each of the stages (we will cover milestones later).

Two) At the beginning of each day just make a note of the start time, when you plan to
finish and a few words describing the day's goal. For ex ample mine says 10:45-4:00
type rough draft: next three chapters. You may have to do this for a few days to work out
what is a realistic daily goal.

Three) Br ainstor m what needs to get done. Again do this for the whole project and on a
daily basis. Simply write everything you need to do on a sheet of paper. For ex ample,
'research', 'add links to websites mentioned', 'structure chapter 3', 'br eak down of
paragraphs', 'pr oofr ead yesterday's work', 'type up r ough dr aft'.

Four) Pr ior itize what to do. What needs to be done first. Not 'what is the most important
thing', but what would be essential for you to get started? For ex ample in the above list, I
would need to 'research' first, otherwise I would have to go back later and make major
alter ations to the tex t. Work through the list until it is in order of pr ior ity and then you
are ready to get started.

I have read countless books and articles on this subject and have planned many
projects and it usually boils down to these four pr inciples. Write the goal down,
make a list of what to do, prioritize, do.

Ex ercise 15, Make a plan. If you are not used to planning then try to use the above 4
principles to plan tomorrow's activities. Another good tip for daily plans is to plan the day
before. That way you can get started right away as soon as you start working etc.

Vocabular y:

A for mula. - Una fórmula

Milestones. - Hitos
To br ainstor m. - Aportar ideas

To br eak (something) down. - Dividir (algo)

To pr oofr ead. - Corregir

A r ough dr aft. - Un borrador

To pr ior itize. - Dar prioridad

To make alter ations to (something). - Hacer cambios en (algo)

A pr ior ity. - Una prioridad

Countless…. - Innumerables

It boils down to…. - Se reduce a…

Pr inciples. - Principios

Question 37: Is planning optional?

Sixteen) Answer.

Question 37: Is planning optional?

Answer 37 : No, you must do it, at least at the beginning.

Seventeen)
Deadlines. The good and the bad.

But aren't all deadlines good? Don't get me wrong you need deadlines, especially when
working on projects, but we are trying to build long term motivation through good habits;
and habits don't have deadlines. We want to avoid putting a time limit on the 'practices'.
So deadlines are great when getting started because you will have something to shoot
for. But be sure to have the nex t goal and deadline lined up so you can keep the
momentum up. It's fine to rest but you don't want to fall back into bad habits. So
please keep setting deadlines until you don't need to anymore.

A quick note about work. In the workplace, as soon as we hit a deadline another one is
usually waiting for us. However when we do something on our own we tend not to have
the same discipline. Start applying this principle to your own life and projects, so you
benefit from the same structure as your employers do.

Vocabular y:

A time limit. - Un tiempo límite

To fall back into bad habits. - Volver a recaer en los malos hábitos

Discipline. - Disciplina

To apply (something). - Aplicar (algo)

Question 38: Why is it good to keep setting deadlines?

Ex ercise 16, The deadline habit. Start to apply time limits and deadlines to everything.
When you are making a 'to do list' place deadlines on the actions in it. The more you do
this the more efficient you will become. Think about all of the things you need to do
tomorrow. Try to divide your day up with deadlines. I assur e you, you'll be amazed by
how much you actually get done.

Going for war d. Try to start thinking ahead. So by the time you reach one deadline,
especially if it is a major one, you already have the nex t goal in sight. Try to get into a
rhythm as soon as possible. The less energy you have to expend getting started all the
time, the more energetic and motivated you are going to feel.

Vocabular y:

To be efficient. - Ser eficiente

To assur e…. - Asegurar

(To have something) in sight. - (Tener algo) a la vista

To expend (something). - Gastar (algo)

Question 39: What should you apply deadlines to?

Seventeen) Answers.

Question 38: Why is it good to keep setting deadlines?

Answer 38: To keep the momentum up.

Question 39: What should you apply deadlines to?

Answer 39: At first you should apply them to everything.

Eighteen)
Milestones and small wins.

A milestone is a short stopover on the way to the main goal. So for ex ample if you plan
to launch a new product then a milestone would be a stage in the production that you
would have to pass on the way. For ex ample, design, getting a patent, building a
website, getting it produced, getting it into various shops etc. You may want to add
deadlines to each of these milestones. Milestones are an ex cellent way to stay on
tr ack and to stay motivated. They show you that you are making progress.

Vocabular y:

A stopover. - Una parada

A patent. - Una patente

To stay on tr ack. - Mantenerse concentrado

Question 40: What is a milestone?

Ex ercise 17, Make some milestone targets. Whatever your goal is, whether it is long or
short term, try dividing it into sections. It is absolutely cr ucial that you write everything
down. This is ex actly what we did in the planning section ex cept that we are now
formalizing the stages and hopefully adding deadlines. Every time you reach a milestone
either take a short break or reward yourself. This is a great achievement in itself. I find a
great way to stay motivated is to review just how far I've come. While in the process of
doing something it is sometimes difficult to 'see the wood for the trees', which is just
a fancy way of saying that it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. When you reach
your milestone, take a step back to really appreciate how far you have progressed. Lost
10 lb? That's amazing, keep going. Got your website up? That's great, start promoting it.
Once you get into the habit of progressing forward you'll be unstoppable.

Vocabular y:

(To be) cr ucial to/for /that (something). - Importante para (algo)

To be unable to see the wood for the tr ees. - Los árboles no te dejan ver el bosque

A fancy (way). - Una (forma) sofisticada

Question 41: What is it crucial to do?

Small wins. I would greatly encourage you to not only write down your goals but also the
milestones. If you are ever feeling that you are not making progress then a quick look at
your milestones will convince you otherwise. It's easy to forget just how far you have
come. Also, I would suggest that you often aim at 'low hanging fruit'. By this I mean that
the more small successes you have, the more motivated you are going to be to keep on
tr ack. I don't mean that one should always aim low, just that sometimes the easy win
can keep you fired up for the bigger challenges.

Ex ercise 18, Make someone happy. Here's something that you can do immediately.
Make someone happy; Compliment someone. Forgive someone you've held a
gr udge against. Pay for someone's coffee. Let someone go before you in the line at the
store. These are small wins. In all probability youll go away feeling better than they will.

Vocabular y:

To convince…. - Convencer

To keep on tr ack. - Mantenerte en el buen camino

To compliment (someone/something). - Alabar (a alguien / algo)

To hold a gr udge. - Guardar rencor

Question 42: Should you always aim low with your goals?
Eighteen) Answers.

Question 40: What is a milestone?

Answer 40 : A milestone is a point on the journey (a stopover) to the main goal.

Question 41: What is it crucial to do?

Answer 41: t is crucial to write everything down.

Question 42: Should you always aim low with your goals?

Answer 42: No, but small win can be good.

Nineteen)
Analysis paralysis

This is the cur se of people who only do research and never actually take the steps to
achieve their goals. If you do this long term it will absolutely kill your motivation
because you never make any real progress. Research is essential but it is not the goal.
Unfortunately some people get so caught up in the research that they never hit the 'go'
button. I see this in publishing all the time, "I can't decide what to write", "what genr e
should I write in", "I'm afraid that no one will buy it". I agree, no one will buy it,
especially if you don't write the bloody thing. Now here is some tough love. There's a
good chance that your project etc will fail. But you need to keep failing to see what
works for you. My first book (the course I changed into a book) took me about a year to
write (a few hours each evening) and has performed pretty badly. My nex t book took 3
weeks to write and sells very well. You could say that I wasted a year. But if I'd never got
started I wouldn't have learnt the skills to knock out a book in 3 weeks.

Here is my advice. Start small and build yourself up to major projects. Also if possible, if
you are doing something that involves people buying something from you, see if you can
interest them in the product before you even get started. This will help you both gain and
maintain motivation. t's hard to get up after a major smack-down, but a minor one
where you were prepared for a bit of disappointment is a lot easier. If you are well
organized then minor setbacks shouldn't affect your motivation too much. But never
actually doing anything; that will dr ain your motivation for sure.

Vocabular y:

The cur se of (something). - La maldición de (algo)

To get caught up in (something). - Quedarte atrapado/enganchado de (algo)

A genr e. - Un género

Bloody. - Maldito

Tough love. - La pura verdad

To knock out (a task). - Terminar (una tarea) bajo presión

A smack-down. - Un golpe bajo

A setback. - Un contratiempo

To dr ain (ener gy etc). - Agotar (energía, etc.)

Question 43: Is it impossible for your project to fail?

Ex ercise 19, You've got to start somewhere. If you have been stuck thinking about
starting, or just researching and then talking yourself out of starting, then it's time to get
started. Set yourself a deadline to get started and then stick to it. Nothing is ever going to
be perfect, and the longer you wait the more likely you are to lose motivation. If you have
a number of possibilities then why not choose the one that will only take a few weeks.
Then you can get the motor running. Once you get some momentum it will be easier to
carry that motivation on to the nex t thing.
Nineteen) Answer.

Question 43: Is it impossible for your project to fail?

Answer 43: No, there is a good chance that it will fail.

Twenty)
Is anything unrealistic? Limiting beliefs

"Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they're yours" Richard Bach, llusions.

Is anything unrealistic? I don't know, ask Gandhi. Now I wouldn't start with trying to
liber ate a country of more than a billion people as my first project, but that's just me. But
no, nothing is unrealistic. I personally found however that if you start small then you can
gain both confidence and motivation. Remember small actions repeated over an
ex tended period of time helps to form habits. So shoot for the moon by all means but
be sure that you handle it in small stages so you get the 'wins' that will keep your
motivation up.

I for one don't like wishy washy 'self help' speak and have read countless books that
used jar gon that I suspect was total non-sense. But the one phrase that I completely
agree with is 'limiting belief'. This is basically the idea that it's your belief that you cant
do something that is stopping you, rather than any real bar r ier . If you think that you
can't do it then you can't do it. If you think that you can do it, then you can do it.

Vocabular y:

Limitations. - Limitaciones

To liber ate. - Liberar

To shoot for the moon. - Apunta alto

By all means…. - Por supuesto…

Wishy washy. - Insípido

Jar gon. - Jerga

A bar r ier. - Una barrera

Question 44: What is the one 'self help' phrase the author agrees with?
Jen Kim in Psychology Today had this to say about vocalizing limiting beliefs: "The
problem with declaring a barrier, is that once you say it, something in your head
clicks, and you begin to tell yourself that you really cant do it and that you shouldnt
even try. You've walked away from a door of opportunity without checking to see if it was
unlocked."

Ex ercise 20, Yes you can! Here's a sur e fir e way to identify a limiting belief. Ask
someone who knows much more on a subject for some advice, if you start arguing with
them or trying to justify why you just can't do it then it's probably a limiting belief. Of
course that person could be wrong, but if you catch yourself asking for advice and then
ignoring it, then you have to ask yourself why. You obviously think they have the answer,
so why ignore it when you don't like the sound of it. Think about it the nex t time you
catch yourself doing this.

Vocabular y:

(When) something in your head clicks. - (Cuando) algo tiene sentido en tu cabeza

A sur e fir e way to (something). - La forma más perfecta de hacer (algo)

To justify (something). - Justificar (algo)

To catch oneself (doing something). - Pillarte a ti mismo (haciendo algo)

Question 45: If you ask for advice and then ignore it, what could this mean?
Twenty) Answers.

Question 44: What is the one 'self help' phrase the author agrees with?

Answer 44: Limiting belief'.

Question 45: If you ask for advice and then ignore it, what could this mean?

Answer 45: t could mean that you have a limiting belief about that subject.
Twenty One)
How to speak yourself motivated.

Do you catch yourself saying things like "I can't", "I don't have enough…" more often
than you say things which are positive? As soon as is humanly possible I suggest
that you stop using this type of language. In fact you should be saying and thinking the
ex act opposite. Let's take the ex ample of a child. If you constantly discour age or
belittle that child, there is a good chance they are not going to develop into happy
motivated adults, of course there are ex ceptions but you get my point. Now take a look
at the way you speak to yourself. I used to start almost every sentence with but I can't'
and of course I was right. When I eventually started to change my language and started
saying 'I can' of course I was right again.

How language can affect behavior. Many teachers find that if they use positive language
towards the children, behaviour often actually improves. This is what a British
Government adviser, Andy Vass had to say about the subject: "By this we mean
language that describes success and avoids use of the word ‘don t’. A key principle in
positive language is simply to describe what you want children to do rather than what you
want them to stop doing. For example,. "Can you stop talking and pay attention",
becomes "Carl, I need you to put your pen down, look this way and listen. Thanks."

The simple rationale is that our brains cannot process negative statements. Try this:
don t think of a banana (to do this you have to picture a banana first!)

If you use positive language children are less likely to resist, and, because it is said in a
pleasant and respectful tone the child is more likely to follow the instruction and want to
experience more of the same."

Vocabular y:

As is humanly possible. - Como sea humanamente posible

To discour age. - Desanimar

To belittle. - Menospreciar

To pay attention to (something). - Prestar atención a (algo)

A r ationale. - Lógica

To r esist (something). - Resistirse a (algo)

Pleasant. - Agradable

Respectful. - Respetuoso

Question 46: What type of language should you stop using?

Ex ercise 21, watch your mouth. Changing the way we speak is ex tremely difficult. In
fact our choice of words is one of the biggest habits we have. If you listen carefully,
you'll notice that we all have words and phrases that we continually reuse. A few years
back I met someone who had successfully overcome a very sever e stutter . The basic
technique he used was that every time he caught himself stutter ing, he would choose
another similar word. So if you catch yourself saying/thinking 'I can't do that because I
don't have the money, time, education etc etc', say 'I can't wait to get started' or 'I can't
believe I almost sabotaged my motivation by saying something negative'. Enough with
the self sabotage, trust me there are plenty of other people to do that for you!

Going for war d. You are not going to change the way you speak or think over night, so
consistency is the key. Here is the technique I used but try to find something that you
can stick to. This is a meditation technique for dealing with negative thoughts but I used
it in my everyday life. Every time a negative thought would arise or I would say
something bad about myself I would say/think 'I'm having that negative thought about so
and so again' then I would visualize myself wrapping up this thought into a package and
flushing it down the toilet. Of course you could visualize something more romantic
like placing it in the river, so long as you are 'metaphor ically' letting go. You will
probably notice that the same thoughts keep appearing. As a general rule the more you
acknowledge the negative pattern the quicker you will get r id of it.

Vocabular y:

Continually…. - Continuamente…

Sever e. - Grave

A stutter. - Tartamudeo

Stutter ing. - Tartamudear

To sabotage (something). - Sabotear (algo)

(To happen) over night. Tr anslator : this does not liter ally mean over night…it
means very quickly etc. - (Ocurrir) de inmediato

To flush (something) down the toilet. - Tirar (algo) por el wáter

To visualize (something). - Visualizar (algo)

So long as you….. - Siempre y cuando tú…

Metaphor ically. – Metafóricamente

To get r id of (something). - Deshacerse de (algo)

Question 47: If you start to say something negative, what should you do?
Twenty One) Answers.

Question 46: What type of language should you stop using?

Answer 46: Negative language such as 'I cant'.

Question 47: If you start to say something negative, what should you do?

Answer 47 : You should change the sentence to something positive.

Twenty Two)
Step Four: The right environment for
motivation.

As we have seen, one of the biggest tricks to staying motivated is routine and habit.
This is why ensur ing that you have the right environment is essential. Placing yourself
in environments and situations that work with, rather than against you, will boost
mor ale and productivity. If you are trying to get stuff done in a messy environment or one
full of distr action it is going to be hard to maintain focus. No focus means low
productivity, and low productivity means losing motivation for what you are doing. There
are of course those who thr ive in chaos. If you are one of those people please feel free
to skip this chapter.

Vocabular y:

To ensur e (something). - Asegurarse de (algo)

Mor ale. - Confianza

A distr action. - Una distracción

To thr ive. - Prosperar

Chaos. - Caos

To skip (something). - Saltarse (algo)

Question 48: Why is it difficult to get stuff done in a messy environment?

Ex ercise 22, Clean up. For one week only, try to keep your work space clear. Try not to
have piles of paper stacked up everywhere on your desk. Very few people can focus in
chaos, and if you can't focus it is going to be difficult to maintain motivation. Try it for a
week and see how it affects your motivation and focus.

Divide your space. Throughout my 20's I was very interested in Zen Buddhism and
attended many meditation groups both in the west and in Japan. Now, Zen is not
abstr act at all. In fact it is pretty str aightfor war d and follows the 'sit down, shut up
and appr eciate that you are alive in this moment' principle. That said, whenever you
enter the meditation area you must enter with your left foot and then bow. This is the
same even if the group is held in a community center or some other decidedly non-
spiritual location. In fact some groups just put a piece of string or another marker on the
floor that you must cross over. For years I just thought this was meaningless ritual. Then
it str uck me. You need to divide things up to really channel your focus. You need to
make a clear distinction between what you were doing before and what you are
supposed to be doing now. Doing the same thing the same way (left foot first) frees up
the mind to focus on what it is supposed to be doing.

Vocabular y:

Abstr act. - Abstracto

Str aightfor war d. - Directo

To appr eciate (something). - Apreciar (algo)

Decidedly…. - Sin duda

To str ike one that…. - Entender que…

To channel one's focus. - Canalizar tu concentración

A distinction between 'A' and 'B'. - Una diferencia entre 'A' y 'B'

Question 49: In Zen, how do you enter the meditation area?

Ex ercise 23, Divide and conquer. If you either work from home or are doing a project in
the evening and are having trouble maintaining focus, productivity, and motivation, try
this. Start at the same time. Clearly write down how long you intend to work for. Clearly
define a workspace. Make sure that you always enter this workplace in the same way
and that it's to work only. For ex ample I would recommend against eating breakfast there
or watching YouTube videos of cats etc. Even if it's just a desk in the corner of your
bedroom. t is now no longer a bedroom. This is your wor kspace.

Vocabular y:

To intend to (do something). - Pretender (hacer algo)

To define (something). - Definir (algo)

A wor kspace. - Lugar de trabajo

Question 50: When at your workspace, what for ex ample shouldnt you do?
Distr actions. Anyone who has tried to work from home or tried to maintain motivation for
their own projects will know that distr actions are deadly. Distractions kill motivation.
Now you can either use willpower to avoid the distractions or just eliminate them from
your life. My job requires me to be at the computer producing for around 6 hours a day.
Not researching, but actually producing. I have found that if I am at home I have too many
temptations and distractions. *So I simply designated a certain amount of hours to
working in the library and 2-4 hours of research which I do online at home. It has been
that simple. No software for blocking websites on my computer or training my dog to not
jump on my lap every five minutes, I just go to the library (don't get the Wi-Fi code!) and
became a production machine. I would also recommend this for people who have
recently become unemployed or have started working for themselves. Use the
momentum and habit from your previous job to benefit yourself.

*Rachael Aaron in her book 2000 to 10000 has some nteresting ideas about this.

Vocabular y:

A distr action. - Una distracción

To eliminate (something). - Eliminar (algo)

A temptation. - Una tentación

To designate (something). - Designar (algo)

Momentum. - Impulso

Question 51: Where does the author do their online research?

Ex ercise 24, Remove distractions or remove yourself from the distraction. Depending on
your situation and what you are trying to achieve you can either change your current
environment and minimize distractions, or you can just simply remove yourself from the
environment and work elsewhere. Here are some things you can do to get started.

Clearly define your workspace. This is where you work, when you enter this space you
are motivated and focused on your goal.

Clear your workspace. Make sure you dont have to waste time searching around for
everything all the time.

Remove yourself from the distracting workspace. Hire an office. Work in the library.

Use software such as Stay Focused or Cold Turkey to block access to websites, during
your work period.

Try using the Pomodoro Technique' where you work for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute
break and then start working again. You could also try 'Strict Workflow' which is an
application that blocks websites for a certain period and then allows you access during
your break times (it's based on the pomodoro technique).

Speak to family members and ask them not to disturb you during your work period.

Do not perform non-productive activities at your workspace. Try not to eat or watch
videos or do anything that is not related to what you are trying to achieve.

Vocabular y:

To minimize (something). - Minimizar (algo)

To define (something). - Definir (algo)

A (computer ) application. - Una aplicación de software

Question 52: What is the 'Pomodoro Technique'?

Twenty Two) Answers.

Question 48: Why is it difficult to get stuff done in a messy environment?

Answer 48: Because it's difficult to maintain focus.

Question 49: In Zen, how do you enter the meditation area?

Answer 49: You enter with your left foot and then bow.

Question 50: When at your workspace, what for ex ample shouldnt you do?

Answer 50: You shouldnt eat your breakfast or watch YouTube videos etc.

Question 51: Where does the author do their online research?

Answer 51: They do their online research at home.

Question 52: What is the 'Pomodoro Technique'?

Answer 52: t's when you work for 25 minutes and then rest for 5 minutes and then
repeat the process.
Twenty Three)
Step Five: Staying motivated
Other People
"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with". Jim Rohn

Think about it; what is the one thing that can drain your energy and motivation in an
instant. Other people. You could be having the greatest day ever and then 'Bam' some
idiot says something and totally r uins it for you. Now, two conclusions can be
dr awn from this. The first is that you need to avoid these types of people. The second
is that if other people's opinions have that much power over you, you probably need to
toughen up a bit (or a lot). The bottom line is that if we want to maintain motivation
we can't solely rely on others to agree with us or to tell us what a wonderful job we are
doing and how everything will be alright in the end. That said, if you sur r ound
your self with people who discour age you and mock your aspir ations, then you are
going to need an ir on will to keep your motivation levels up.

Vocabular y:

In an instant. - En un momento.

An idiot. - Un idiota

To r uin (something). - Arruinar (algo)

To dr aw conclusions. - Sacar conclusiones

To avoid (something/someone). - Evitar (algo / a alguien)

To toughen up. - Aprender a ser fuerte

The bottom line. - En definitiva

To sur r ound your self with (soothing etc). - Rodearte de (confort)

To discour age…. - Desanimar

To mock. - Burlarse de

Aspir ations. - Aspiraciones

(To have an) ir on will. - (Tener) una voluntad de hierro

Question 53: If people often ruin your mood what can you do?
I'm not saying that you have to have a wife/husband/partner that fully supports every
crazy scheme you have and is willing to dr op ever ything just to cheer lead you. But
if someone consistently doesn't support you, then it would be madness not to
acknowledge that this is having a huge effect on both your self-esteem and your
motivation levels. This is the same with friends, do they laugh when you tell them your
aspir ations? If they do, are they really friends?

Vocabular y:

A scheme. - Un plan

To dr op ever ything and….. - Dejarlo todo y…

To cheer lead (someone/an idea, a pr oject etc). - Hacer de animadora (de alguien /
de una idea /de un proyecto, etc.)

(To be) madness. - (Ser) una locura

To acknowledge (something). - Reconocer (algo)

Self-esteem. - Autoestima

Aspir ations. - Aspiraciones

Question 54: Should your husband/wife/partner support every idea you have?
Ex ercise 25, Take a look around. This is probably the most painful thing to do, but take a
hard look at the people closest to you. Make a list of 5-10 people who you are closest to.
Do they encour age you? Do you encourage them? Are they interested in what you do?
Deep down do they want you to succeed? If they consistently belittle you, then
perhaps you need to stop sharing your ideas with these people. People often call
themselves 'r ealists' but actually they are just negative and never really str ive to do
much of anything themselves. There is a difference between 'a realist' and 'a negative
person'.

Vocabular y:

To encour age. - Animar

Deep down. - En el fondo

To consistently…. - Consistentemente…

To belittle. - Menospreciar

A r ealist. - Un realista

To str ive for (something). - Luchar por (algo)

Question 55: Are people who call themselves 'realists' always actually realists?
Ex ercise 26, Get new friends. What are you interested in? What are your goals? Now
maybe your immediate fr iends and family are not willing to offer support but there are
millions of like-minded people out there. Join a for um full of people in the same
position as you. Change your habits, instead of banging your head against a br ick
wall trying to change those around you, br oaden your scope. There is an online world
out there full of people with similar interests. You don't even need to do it online, check
for local clubs etc as well.

Dont ex pect everyone to see things the same way as you. Remember, if you do
announce a r adical change in your life don't ex pect everyone to understand. They
may not be 'hating' they are just genuinely concer ned. When I told my wife that I was
going to start writing books, there was literally no reaction whatsoever . She didn't get it.
She wasnt being critical but she certainly wasn't shouting 'you can do this, believe in
yourself' every morning before I sat down to my (then) unpaid job. But bit by bit after I
started getting 'small wins' her attitude started to change. That's why I always advocate
small wins. They're quick, easy and difficult to argue with.

Ex ercise 27, Keep it to yourself. Instead of discussing your plans with everyone you
meet and seeking appr oval, try to get a small win first. If you want to make a product,
get someone interested in buying it first. Want to lose weight? Lose some first before you
announce your goal. Remember, results are difficult to argue with. If you are already
winning, then people are less likely to say something negative, and if they do, youll
know it is not genuine concern.

Vocabular y:

Immediate family. - Familia inmediata / más próx ima

Like-minded people. - Personas con la misma mentalidad

An inter net for um. - Un foro de internet

To bang your head against a br ick wall. - Darte cabezazos contra la pared

To br oaden (something). - Ampliar (algo)

The scope of (something). - El ámbito de (algo)

To announce (something). - Anunciar (algo)

A r adical change. - Un cambio radical

To be concer ned about (something). - Estar preocupado por (algo)

Whatsoever. - En absoluto
To advocate (something). - Abogar por (algo)

To seek appr oval. - Buscar aprobación

To be genuine. - Ser auténtico / genuino

Question 56: If people dont understand what you are doing, are they just 'hating'?
Twenty Three) Answers.

Question 53: If people often ruin your mood what can you do?

Answer 53: You can avoid those people or toughen up.

Question 54: Should your husband/wife/partner support every idea you have?

Answer 54: No, not if it is a 'crazy scheme'.

Question 55: Are people who call themselves 'realists' always actually realists?

Answer 55: No, sometimes they are just negative.

Question 56: If people dont understand what you are doing, are they just 'hating'?

Answer 56: No, they may just be concerned for you.

Twenty Four)
A few other things

Stick to the plan. Consistency is the key to progress and feeling motivated. If you are
constantly shifting your routine, it's going to be hard for good habits to form. Have you
ever noticed that it's more difficult to start that it is to continue? If you feel yourself
slipping back into bad habits, try to catch yourself. Remember what we said about
'spaced repetition' and learning languages. The most intense work is done at the
beginning and then it will become second natur e over time.

Vocabular y:

To stick to (something). - Ser leal a (algo)

To shift (something). - Cambiar (algo)

To slip back into bad habits. - Volver a caer en las malas costumbres

Intense. - Intenso

To become second natur e. - Convertirse en algo automático

Question 57: Why shouldn't you keep changing your routine?

Accountability. A great way to stay motivated is to make yourself accountable. There
are lots of ways of doing this but they all serve the same purpose. To keep you on
tr ack. Here are 2 popular methods.

Start a blog or a thread in a forum documenting your goals and progress. By making
this public, people often feel that they are more accountable if other people are following
their progress.

Get an accountability partner. This is where you set goals and deadlines for yourself and
somebody else keeps track of your progress. You in tur n do the same thing for them. If
someone is ex pecting you to get a certain task done by a certain time, then you are more
likely to do it.

Vocabular y:

To be accountable for (something). - Ser responsable de (algo)

To keep on tr ack. - Seguir en el buen camino

To document (something). - Documentar (algo)

In tur n. - A su vez

Question 58: What is an 'accountability partner'?

Get a formula. If something is working, keep doing that! Even though it's common
sense we often abandon what is working to try out something totally new. To a cer tain
degr ee that's fine but we need to consider what has actually worked for us in the past
as well. As Goethe said "He who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from
hand to mouth."

Be realistic with yourself. I have long been interested in adopting a raw food diet.
However every time I adopt this style of eating, or something similar I inevitably snap
back to my old habits. This is down to a few factors. One was that I was under-eating
and the other was that in the long-term it was just not realistic for me. Eventually I
adopted a 'Raw till 4' approach where I eat as much raw fruit and vegetables as I like
during the day and can still enjoy a cooked meal in the evening with my family. While
this is still a major change from my previous eating habits, it is much more sustainable
than trying to do things that totally don't suit my personality. Try to match your new good
habits as closely as you can to your life and personality if you want to have sustained
motivation.

Vocabular y:

Common sense. - Sentido común

To a cer tain degr ee. - Hasta cierto punto

To adopt (an idea etc). - Adoptar (una idea, etc.)

Inevitably. - Inevitablemente

To snap back to…. - Volver a…

To be sustainable. - Ser sostenible

Question 59: Instead of a 'raw food diet' what did the author adopt?
Twenty Four) Answers.

Question 57: Why shouldn't you keep changing your routine?

Answer 57: Because it will be hard to form habits.

Question 58: What is an 'accountability partner'?

Answer 58: This is someone who keeps track of your progress.

Question 59: Instead of a 'raw food diet' what did the author adopt?

Answer 59: The author adopted a 'raw till four' diet.

Twenty Five)
Diet/Lifestyle

This is not the place to fully discuss the pr os and cons of different diets and lifestyle
choices, but it's crazy to ignore the effects these things have on our motivation levels. I
have seen people who basically live off eating cr ap and drinking soda, complaining
about feeling tired all the time. Then they drink coffee and energy drinks to get
themselves started. I can't really judge because I spent 10 years of my life working my
way up to just below obese before I realized that if I just stopped eating crap then
maybe I'd stop feeling like crap. Mission accomplished, I'm now a normal weight, feel
motivated and take action towards my goals on a daily basis. Once I started putting
enough of the right things in and for the most part avoided the rest, my moods stabilized
and my motivation levels went thr ough the r oof.

Vocabular y:

The pr os and cons of (something). - Los pros y los contras de (algo)

Cr ap. - Comida basura

To judge (something). - Juzgar (algo)

To be obese. - Ser obeso

Mission accomplished! - ¡Misión cumplida!

To be stabilized. - Estar estabilizado

(When something) goes thr ough the r oof. - (Cuando algo) se dispara

Question 60: Was the author ever overweight?

Ex ercise 28, Health check. Please take a look at these things and answer honestly.
Also please take the time to consider what these things are doing to your energy levels.

Do you eat a lot of pr ocessed food?

Do you eat a lot of fat?

Do you eat a lot of things that you have absolutely no idea what the ingredients are? If
you don't know what the additive is then how will you know it's effect on you, your
mood and your motivation levels.

Do you rely on stimulants, such as coffee and energy drinks to keep you going?

Do you think that the stuff you put into your body is crap? Answer honestly!

Try reading the ingredients of everything you eat. If that doesnt scare you into taking
char ge of your diet then nothing will. There are tons of additives etc that have been
claimed to alter behavior.

Are you getting enough sleep? How can you feel motivated and ready for the day if you
are ex hausted all of the time.

Basically just start thinking about what the effect of the food and drink you consume
and your general lifestyle have on your overall motivation levels.

Vocabular y:

Pr ocessed food. - Comida precocinada

A food additive. - Aditivos alimentarios

A stimulant. - Un estimulante

To take char ge of (something). - Tomar las riendas de (algo)

To consume (something). - Consumir (algo)

Question 61: Does the author think you should eat lots of additives?
Twenty Five) Answers.

Question 60: Was the author ever overweight?

Answer 60: Yes they were.

Question 61: Does the author think you should eat lots of additives?

Answer 61: No.

Conclusion

Congratulations, we are at the end of the book, but hopefully at the beginning of your
journey to making motivation a habit. Although the methods mentioned may not be as
'sexy' as some they are totally practical and will work long term if you just put in the
initial effort now. Do what suits you and you will soon find that your new good habits will
help you maintain a very high level of motivation.

I hope you enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Bonuses on nex t page……

Bonuses

Suggested 4 week program

Week One: Start taking note of all of your good and bad habits. Add all of your good
habits to the 'Habit Tick List' from ex ercise 2. Think about what the opposite of your bad
habits are and then if you think they are sustainable, add them to your tick list as well.
Think about what actually motivates you. Use the ex ercises in Steps 1-2 to get a good
idea of what is going to work for you.

Week Two: Spend this week really obser ving your thought patterns. Do you have any
bad habits such as always thinking negatively or using negative language? Start using
the ex ercises in Step 2 to get focused on the present and to start really monitor ing
how you speak to yourself.

Week Three: Really start to think about your goals and how you approach achieving
them. Use the ex ercises in Step 3 to get a clear idea of where you are heading.

Week Four: Start to observe how your environment has an effect on your motivation
levels. Do you need to minimize distractions? Do you need to remove yourself from the
distractions? Do you need to alter your workspace or start to keep things tidier? Take
steps to getting this done. Also take a look at how your health and other lifestyle factors
are affecting your motivation levels.

Be sure to add any new habit that you wish to benefit from onto your 'Habit Tick List'.
Then of course be sure to fill it in everyday until your new 'practices' become habit.

Vocabular y:

To obser ve. - Observar

To monitor (something). - Llevar un seguimiento de (algo)

30 random ideas for getting and then staying
motivated

1) Keep a journal.

2) Get a goal.

3) Start a blog to stay accountable.

4) Start a thread on a forum to stay accountable.

5) Get an accountability partner. They track your progress and you track theirs.

6) Give away money every time you slip from your goal.

7) Take an inventory of all of your good points.

8) Get rid of your TV. Or at least minimize watching it.

9) Read for an hour a day.

10) Tell people who are supportive what your goals are.

11) Stop speaking to people who don't offer positive criticism.

12) Read motivational quotes every day. You can find some here.

13) Read about people who inspire you.

14) Find someone who has achieved what you want and then just ask them how
they achieved it. 99% of people will tell you.

15) Try to avoid negative language.

16) Try to avoid gossip.

17) Get enough sleep.

18) Say your goal aloud every morning.

19) Aim for small wins at first.

20) Make sure you encourage others.

21) Stay hydrated.

22) If there are too many distractions, remove yourself and go somewhere you can
concentrate.

23) Even if you are not in the mood, get started, that's always the most difficult part.

24) If something is definitely not working then think about a change in direction.

25) Make sure your 'to do list' is visible at all times.

26) Have a poster above your workspace reminding you to remain on track.

27) Regularly look at the milestones you have reached in order to remind yourself of
all the progress you have already made.

28) Organise an event to celebrate you reaching a certain goal. This will mean that
you have to reach it!

29) Join an online forum.

30) Join a local club or association.