You may think that people who do many things consistently and reasonably well are somehow magically motivated and you’re not. Wrong! Staying motivated has nothing to do with magic. It’s about doing things in spite of not feeling like it.

Here are 8 things you can do to help you stay motivated:

1. Plan the next day the night before. Write down what your priorities are and how you’re going to accomplish them.

2. Drop the idea that somehow you’re entitled. Everybody starts from the bottom and works hard to accomplish goals. You’re no different.

3. Try not to stress out about your list. Don’t put more on your to-do list than should be there in a healthy, reasonable day. Don’t stress yourself over the things you can’t control. Instead, get yourself organized with what you can control.

4. Distance yourself from negativity and naysayers. Some people like to recruit other people to feel crappy with them. If you have to eliminate people from your life, so be it.

5. Don’t compare yourself to anybody else. We all have had to dig ourselves out of different holes. Your journey is not the same as someone else’s.

6. Don’t be impatient with yourself. If you’re giving 100%, you have to accept that it takes the time it takes.

7. Do the toughest things first. Get them out of the way.

8. Find someone to hold you accountable. If you want to start exercising, find a walking buddy. If you want to stop drinking, get a sponsor. If you’re the type of person who needs to be held accountable, find someone who will.