This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.
A former girlfriend of mine had a very effective strategy for getting absolutely anything she wanted done, and done quickly.
"Just shut up, and do it!"
That was the clear signal that life would cease to flow smoothly until I made some effort to "do it".
I tell you, if you could get someone like that lady on your side, there would be no stopping you! But first you'd have to build a relationship with her. Then you'd have to convince her that what you want is what she wants. OK, it is a simple strategy, but "simple" is not always "easy". (I'll show you some easier ways further on.)
The thing is, I would invariably find that once I made a start on the required task then things usually did become relatively easy. Excuses evaporated, objections were found to be groundless, and often all kinds of undreamed of assistance would materialise.
This phenomenon is perhaps expressed more elegantly in a gem of a quote often attributed wholly to Goethe, the man with the highest recorded IQ ever. But actually, this quote comes from W.H. Murray's book The Scottish Himalaya Expedition, in which only the last two lines are quoted from Goethe:
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
No explanation needed. Just try it and see.
In other words, if you skipped your "homework" from previous posts, go back now and begin to get clear on your wish list. If you apply to your wish list what you will learn in each post of this series, then by the time we reach "Z" you will most likely be well on your way to success ... if you begin boldly, right now.
In the previous post, I promised to outline the Dickens Technique, a way of getting started on something when we just don't seem able to budge. First, here is an even more simple method to get started and maintain momentum until we succeed, in anything.
It involves asking yourself just one question, "How am I doing?" But ask yourself that ten times a day, every day. If you have a gadget with an alarm that can be set to gently beep every hour, set it as a reminder to ask yourself, every hour, "How an I doing?"
Word your question to be specific to achieving the aim you have in mind. I will leave that to you, but I do urge you to try this. It works like magic, and with barely no effort.
You have probably experienced the effect already, perhaps from your boss at work. This always seems to happen when you are assigned a special task. From that moment onwards, your path and your boss's path keep crossing, again and again. And each time, your boss enthusiastically asks you, "How's it going?"
You soon run out of excuses to cover your embarrassment about not having even started, and before long you feel highly motivated to get on with that task, before your embarrassment turns to shame, or something even worse.
You can be your own boss and play the same trick on yourself. If you keep asking yourself, "How's it going?" and not getting a positive response, then pretty soon the mighty power of your subconscious mind will be focussed on doing something about it. Not that your subconscious has any sense of "duty", except that it feels obligated to save you from the uncomfortable feelings that your questions stir up for you.
Just do it, and see for yourself.
The Dickens Technique works in much the same way, but is a little more involved and provides an extra boost for those times when we feel impossibly stuck. Set aside some time for this (an hour or so if you can), and get yourself comfortable in a place where you will not be disturbed.
You are probably familiar with Charles Dickens' story A Christmas Carol, in which the mean character Scrooge is visited by the Ghost Of Christmas Past. The ghost presents to Scrooge a vision of the dire consequences that will follow if he continues with his miserly ways. Again, just as you played the role of your boss in the previous technique, you can now play all the characters in this story, and motivate yourself so deeply that, like Scrooge, you will even turn around the habits of a lifetime.
Begin by calling to mind the aim you have specified on your wish list, your WHAT and your WHY. Imagine what your life will be like in twelve month's time, if you have still neglected to take action to achieve your aim.
Things will not just be the same; they will be worse, won't they?. Vividly imagine the details until you really feel how bad things will be. That's the trick ... to really feel how bad it will be. You get the feelings not from just thinking up details, but also imagining yourself experiencing them, as vividly as you can using all your senses.
When you can feel how bad the consequences of your procrastination will be, fast forward your imagination to five years from now, and start picturing how things will be if you continue in your laziness. Things will be another hundred times worse. Really feel the deep disgust with which you will loathe yourself for having let yourself down so badly.
Then move on to imagine how things will be a thousand times worse ... in your life, this is ... in ten years time. You will be exaggerating quite heavily by this stage. Really lay it on thick. Have fun terrifying yourself.
And we are not done yet. But ease up a touch now, and return to that point just twelve months from now. This time, imagine how wonderful things will be ... if you follow through on your action right now, and keep it up until you succeed in your aim. Feel your satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. Hear the praise and congratulations of others. Taste the benefits of your achievement. Also remember Goethe, and picture how all sorts of help came your way to make things seem easy, once you got started.
The exercise is complete when you do get up and launch yourelf into action: write that letter, make that call, look up that information... whatever it is that needs to be done. But I'll allow you to speak ... sing even ... as you just do it!
Next, we'll look at ENERGY, and some things to get us EXCITED!
This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.
A former girlfriend of mine had a very effective strategy for getting absolutely anything she wanted done, and done quickly.
"Just shut up, and do it!"
That was the clear signal that life would cease to flow smoothly until I made some effort to "do it".
I tell you, if you could get someone like that lady on your side, there would be no stopping you! But first you'd have to build a relationship with her. Then you'd have to convince her that what you want is what she wants. OK, it is a simple strategy, but "simple" is not always "easy". (I'll show you some easier ways further on.)
The thing is, I would invariably find that once I made a start on the required task then things usually did become relatively easy. Excuses evaporated, objections were found to be groundless, and often all kinds of undreamed of assistance would materialise.
This phenomenon is perhaps expressed more elegantly in a gem of a quote often attributed wholly to Goethe, the man with the highest recorded IQ ever. But actually, this quote comes from W.H. Murray's book The Scottish Himalaya Expedition, in which only the last two lines are quoted from Goethe:
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
No explanation needed. Just try it and see.
In other words, if you skipped your "homework" from previous posts, go back now and begin to get clear on your wish list. If you apply to your wish list what you will learn in each post of this series, then by the time we reach "Z" you will most likely be well on your way to success ... if you begin boldly, right now.
*****
In the previous post, I promised to outline the Dickens Technique, a way of getting started on something when we just don't seem able to budge. First, here is an even more simple method to get started and maintain momentum until we succeed, in anything.
It involves asking yourself just one question, "How am I doing?" But ask yourself that ten times a day, every day. If you have a gadget with an alarm that can be set to gently beep every hour, set it as a reminder to ask yourself, every hour, "How an I doing?"
Word your question to be specific to achieving the aim you have in mind. I will leave that to you, but I do urge you to try this. It works like magic, and with barely no effort.
You have probably experienced the effect already, perhaps from your boss at work. This always seems to happen when you are assigned a special task. From that moment onwards, your path and your boss's path keep crossing, again and again. And each time, your boss enthusiastically asks you, "How's it going?"
You soon run out of excuses to cover your embarrassment about not having even started, and before long you feel highly motivated to get on with that task, before your embarrassment turns to shame, or something even worse.
You can be your own boss and play the same trick on yourself. If you keep asking yourself, "How's it going?" and not getting a positive response, then pretty soon the mighty power of your subconscious mind will be focussed on doing something about it. Not that your subconscious has any sense of "duty", except that it feels obligated to save you from the uncomfortable feelings that your questions stir up for you.
Just do it, and see for yourself.
*****
The Dickens Technique works in much the same way, but is a little more involved and provides an extra boost for those times when we feel impossibly stuck. Set aside some time for this (an hour or so if you can), and get yourself comfortable in a place where you will not be disturbed.
You are probably familiar with Charles Dickens' story A Christmas Carol, in which the mean character Scrooge is visited by the Ghost Of Christmas Past. The ghost presents to Scrooge a vision of the dire consequences that will follow if he continues with his miserly ways. Again, just as you played the role of your boss in the previous technique, you can now play all the characters in this story, and motivate yourself so deeply that, like Scrooge, you will even turn around the habits of a lifetime.
Begin by calling to mind the aim you have specified on your wish list, your WHAT and your WHY. Imagine what your life will be like in twelve month's time, if you have still neglected to take action to achieve your aim.
Things will not just be the same; they will be worse, won't they?. Vividly imagine the details until you really feel how bad things will be. That's the trick ... to really feel how bad it will be. You get the feelings not from just thinking up details, but also imagining yourself experiencing them, as vividly as you can using all your senses.
When you can feel how bad the consequences of your procrastination will be, fast forward your imagination to five years from now, and start picturing how things will be if you continue in your laziness. Things will be another hundred times worse. Really feel the deep disgust with which you will loathe yourself for having let yourself down so badly.
Then move on to imagine how things will be a thousand times worse ... in your life, this is ... in ten years time. You will be exaggerating quite heavily by this stage. Really lay it on thick. Have fun terrifying yourself.
And we are not done yet. But ease up a touch now, and return to that point just twelve months from now. This time, imagine how wonderful things will be ... if you follow through on your action right now, and keep it up until you succeed in your aim. Feel your satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. Hear the praise and congratulations of others. Taste the benefits of your achievement. Also remember Goethe, and picture how all sorts of help came your way to make things seem easy, once you got started.
The exercise is complete when you do get up and launch yourelf into action: write that letter, make that call, look up that information... whatever it is that needs to be done. But I'll allow you to speak ... sing even ... as you just do it!
*****
Next, we'll look at ENERGY, and some things to get us EXCITED!
This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.