One of the best ways to accomplish your goals in life is to motivate yourself to take action. The action triggers described in this article can get you going on whatever needs doing. As you apply these methods repeatedly you will develop empowering habits that can help you throughout life.

Developing the Do It Now habit

Useful habits can increase your effectiveness immensely. One of the best traits to develop is the Do It Now habit. This can get you started on a task even when you don't feel like working.

Here is how you develop the habit. Let's say you have a task that needs doing, but you don't feel like starting on it. Say the command Do It Now! Then immediately start working on the task.

You probably should start with small, everyday tasks. After you have developed this habit using easy tasks, you can gradually increase the difficulty of these tasks. But remember, after giving the Do It Now command, you must always carry through with immediate action.

As you develop this habit of immediate action, you probably will discover that most tasks are not as difficult or unpleasant as you had assumed. And you will develop a feeling of growing power.

(Note: W. Clement Stone, who started from scratch and built an insurance empire worth hundreds of millions dollars, would make all his employees recite the phrase, "Do It Now!" several times at the start of every workday.)

Developing the need for achievement

Many successful people have a psychological need for achievement. Their self-image and self-confidence demand that they continue to excel in their life. They need a series of achievements to validate their existence. They see themselves as exceptional people who always get results. It becomes a matter of extreme pride for them to reach higher and higher levels of achievements.

This need for achievement can be a very strong incentive for taking action on worthwhile tasks. This method works best for people who already take a special pride in some aspect of their lives.

Here is how you develop this need. At the end of every day review all the times you started or resumed work on a task. Allow yourself to feel pride and a sense of achievement for these victories. Consider how much more you can accomplish if you keep taking action on worthwhile tasks. Start thinking of yourself as an achiever.

As you keep taking actions on difficult or unpleasant tasks, you will begin building your self-confidence and developing a "can do" self-image.

Rewarding yourself for taking action

Another good way to motivate yourself is to give yourself a reward for taking action on a task. The size of the reward should depend on how difficult or unpleasant the task appears.

Here is how it works. If you have trouble starting or resuming a particular task, stop for a minute. Decide what kind of reward to give yourself for taking action. Then immediately start working on the task.

At the end of the day, give yourself any rewards you have earned. You need to make these rewards very special. They should give you a pleasure that you can't get elsewhere. They are, after all, a symbol of your ability to control your own destiny.

Final thoughts

You can get those worthwhile tasks done by learning to motivate yourself. This gives you control over your life and lets you chart your own destiny. Know what you want from life? Good--start taking action to get it today!