How to Be Motivated Every Day: Lessons Learned From Twyla Tharp

"The power of a ritual, or what I like to call a pre-game routine, is that it provides a mindless way to initiate your behavior. It makes starting your habits easier and that means following through on a consistent basis is easier."

it's easier to finish the run (workout/task) than it was to start it in the first place.

Her morning routine starts when she wakes up at 5:30AM every morning, gets dressed, hails a cab, and heads to the gym. The most important part of this morning routine is not the gym workout, it's the cab ride. That's when she is on her way to start her day the right way.

Write them down and start making your powerful habits easier to start.

Twyla Tharp is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music.

The key to any good ritual is that it removes the need to make a decision: What should I do first? When should I do this? How should I do this? Most people never get moving because they can't decide how to get started. Having a ritual takes that burden off your shoulders.

This is basically Newton's First Law applied to habit formation: objects in motion tend to stay in motion. And that means getting started is the hardest part.

Where can you use a ritual or routine in your life? What behaviors do you want to do more consistently and automatically?