People feel motivated when they have a goal in mind with a clear picture of a positive end result and a sense of excitement about achieving it. People are not motivated when what they’re (supposed to be) doing is perceived as having little (or no) relevance to their personal goals.
No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you can motivate yourself into action by connecting the task at hand with your long-term goal. Even if you think you have to do something because you don’t want to suffer the consequences of not doing it, there is a positive long term goal that completing your current task brings you one step closer to.
Eliciting your long-term goal and bringing to mind a clear picture of what you will look like and how you will feel when you achieve it enables you to bring that energy into the present. With your end result energy inspiring your current thoughts and actions, things begin to flow and you become more productive.
We all have our “on” days and “off” days. Should you loose your motivation, all you need to do is get back in touch with your end result energy and let it drive you ahead.
Here’s how it works:
1. Think of a context where you would like to be more motivated (health, fitness, work etc.)
2. If you were to excel to a surprisingly high level in that context, a year to ten years from now, how would you look and feel?
3. Get in touch with that successful feeling inside your body. Notice the natural posture and breathing rate associated with this feeling. Pay attention to the resulting thoughts of having accessed this state.
4. Now, feeling and thinking as the successful person that you are becoming, turn your attention to your most important next step.
5. Let your end result energy appropriate action, one step at a time, and building success momentum as you go.
While your long-term goal might be considered your destination, remember, life is a journey, and your desired end result is a feeling that you can have right now to make your journey more enjoyable in the present.
Written by Jevon Dangeli – NLP/Hypnotherapy Trainer & Coach, MSc Transpersonal Psychology
