Habits Lead to Motivation

A select few are willing to begin their days at the crack of dawn. The alarm clock rings, and instead of hitting snooze, they get up and set off towards their dreams and goals. How are they able to do this? They see results. Once habits are built, results are seen, and then motivation builds and grows exponentially. 

The question I ask is which habits can our children start today that will motivate them toward their goals, dreams, and success?

I have three habits I would like to talk about today: 

Consistent bedtime routines: 

Many studies show that children rely on structure and consistency. Kids can get sidetracked at times when unfamiliar events occur. We aren’t raising robots, but structure builds consistency and habits that lead to success. Creativity increases, and overall physical and mental well-being improves when we establish healthy habits for our kids. I understand the pain of chasing kids during bedtime and getting them settled down. But once our routine was set in place, I left it up to them! I trust them, and they build responsible habits, independence, and accountability. 

Small goals for the next day:

Small goals lead to big leaps. When you fail to plan then you plan to fail. How many goals should you start with? Try one or two goals a day. One goal they can consistently stick to every day and keep. Then you can add more as it goes by. 

Back to basics, saying please and thank you:

I know what you might be thinking, what does please and thank you have to do with basketball? Everything! In terms of politeness and behaviour, we can also apply it to sports. Communication, high-fiving teams, words of support and encouragement; these are the right responses we want. If we can get them to be consistent in these, along with other habits, they will get the correct outcome each time and motivation will build. 

Using these tips will help the motivation and healthy habits become success in life on and off the court.

Coach Ben