Thing 2:Pointers from Lifelong Learners

I found the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners to be interesting.
I'm also surprised that I do these habits fairly easily. The problem I have is something that wasn't mentioned: how to stay motivated for the long haul, especially when other things happen to cause you to slow down and eventually stop without realizing it (like dieting!!!). I've heard and tried doing mini or short term goals when you're learning something that will take a long time to achieve. It's worked for me on occasion but not all the time! So I guess, whatever I'm learning has to be something that I'm really interested in or else I may (or may not!) lose interest in it!