Happy New Year Motivations!
To get 2007 off to a great start, did you sit down and write out your New Year’s Resolutions? You know you did. Most of us do. At the time, we really meant it too, didn’t we? I know I did. My heart and motives were completely pure, and my resolve was unstoppable. Unfortunately, it only took a week to break the first resolution, which was to improve my diet by eating healthy, organic foods. I thought about this last night as I downed a bottle of 7-Up spiked with a shot of Canadian Mist, and a bowl of microwaved popcorn slathered in butter and caked with salt (the popcorn was actually organic, but the butter was not). The saddest part of all was that I didn’t feel the least bit of guilt or regret. Does anybody really keep these resolutions? Sure, it would be great if we could. So, how can we?
Resolve is essentially willpower, which means nothing without motivation backing it up. Motivation creates change by giving us a shove in the right direction. We are either attracted by the promise of a pleasurable reward, or forced along by the threat of pain and suffering. Without this motivational force, a resolution has no power. There must be some kind of immediate gratification to keep us on the right track. This is lacking in a resolution to lose weight, or any similar long-term goal. The promise of reward is too far off into the future, as is the threat of pain and suffering if you don’t eventually lose weight and get healthy.
The secret is too get the motivation going and keep it on track, until you arrive at your destination of a pleasurable reward. If you are working with an NLP Practitioner, many methods can stimulate motivation. I will give you a brief example here. Eyes can be closed or opened for this exercise.
1. Create a movie in your mind's eye that represents the undesireable state(for example, not being able to zip your pants, men looking away in disgust). Add sounds (grunting to zip your pants), and feelings (failure, unhappiness and defeat). This will represent the negative possiblities that you are propelled away from.
To get 2007 off to a great start, did you sit down and write out your New Year’s Resolutions? You know you did. Most of us do. At the time, we really meant it too, didn’t we? I know I did. My heart and motives were completely pure, and my resolve was unstoppable. Unfortunately, it only took a week to break the first resolution, which was to improve my diet by eating healthy, organic foods. I thought about this last night as I downed a bottle of 7-Up spiked with a shot of Canadian Mist, and a bowl of microwaved popcorn slathered in butter and caked with salt (the popcorn was actually organic, but the butter was not). The saddest part of all was that I didn’t feel the least bit of guilt or regret. Does anybody really keep these resolutions? Sure, it would be great if we could. So, how can we?
Resolve is essentially willpower, which means nothing without motivation backing it up. Motivation creates change by giving us a shove in the right direction. We are either attracted by the promise of a pleasurable reward, or forced along by the threat of pain and suffering. Without this motivational force, a resolution has no power. There must be some kind of immediate gratification to keep us on the right track. This is lacking in a resolution to lose weight, or any similar long-term goal. The promise of reward is too far off into the future, as is the threat of pain and suffering if you don’t eventually lose weight and get healthy.
The secret is too get the motivation going and keep it on track, until you arrive at your destination of a pleasurable reward. If you are working with an NLP Practitioner, many methods can stimulate motivation. I will give you a brief example here. Eyes can be closed or opened for this exercise.
1. Create a movie in your mind's eye that represents the undesireable state(for example, not being able to zip your pants, men looking away in disgust). Add sounds (grunting to zip your pants), and feelings (failure, unhappiness and defeat). This will represent the negative possiblities that you are propelled away from.
2. Grow this movie to a larger size, making it huge and monsterous, the sounds amplified, colors brighter, and the feelings stronger. Really FEEL, SEE AND HEAR the pain!
3. Once you have truly experienced the pain and misery of the undesirable state, change the movie to black and white, and shrink it down to a very small size, eliminating the sound effects. Place what is left of this movie behind you to represent the AWAY From state.
4. Now, create a positive movie in your mind that represents your desired state (for instance, yourself in a bikini- sexy and hot). Add sounds (waves crashing, or guys whistling), and feelings (the pleasurable sensation of KNOWING you look good, happiness, satisfaction and joy). Locate this movie in FRONT of you to represent the TOWARD state.
2. Magnify this picture- growing it bigger, louder and brighter in your mind. Step into the picture to experience rather then watch. It’s important to truly SEE, FEEL, AND HEAR how wonderful reaching your goal will be!
3. Step out of this movie, but keep the scene in front of you.
The object is to feel the need to run forward TOWARD your positive goal, and escape the monstrous negative possibilities by jumping into the positive movie headfirst.
This exercise works best when you have the guidance of an NLP Coach.
There are many methods to create motivation. For instance, hanging pictures of you all over the house at your goal weight (computers can do amazing things these days), or clothes in a smaller size just waiting to be worn. Positive affirmations when used consistently will propel you toward your goal. Be bold, creative, and most importantly POSITIVE. Your thoughts have a life of their own once you have formed them, so be responsible with your creations!
Have a happy and prosperous 2007!
2. Magnify this picture- growing it bigger, louder and brighter in your mind. Step into the picture to experience rather then watch. It’s important to truly SEE, FEEL, AND HEAR how wonderful reaching your goal will be!
3. Step out of this movie, but keep the scene in front of you.
The object is to feel the need to run forward TOWARD your positive goal, and escape the monstrous negative possibilities by jumping into the positive movie headfirst.
This exercise works best when you have the guidance of an NLP Coach.
There are many methods to create motivation. For instance, hanging pictures of you all over the house at your goal weight (computers can do amazing things these days), or clothes in a smaller size just waiting to be worn. Positive affirmations when used consistently will propel you toward your goal. Be bold, creative, and most importantly POSITIVE. Your thoughts have a life of their own once you have formed them, so be responsible with your creations!
Have a happy and prosperous 2007!
