There are things we realize that we need to do, must do, however reluctantly. (Examples: clean the kitchen, get more exercise, eat healthy...) And then there are other things we love to do, no prompting needed. (Examples: eat ice cream, watch the Seahawks, weekend in Vegas…) We each have our own lists! These lists of “love it” and “have to” rarely intersect.
What if you could love to do the thing you have to do? Love it right now and on an ongoing basis? You’d get it done, that’s what! And you would enjoy getting it done. We call that “motivation!”
How does one create motivation on demand? Here’s how. I’m sharing with you now an NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) visualization technique to make it so. Take five minutes, follow this process, and notice whether procrastination ends and productivity is enhanced.
The idea.
Who remembers the intro to the old TV western, Bonanza? I do! You’re looking at a map of Virginia City, and suddenly, it starts burning away to reveal a picture underneath…Hoss, Little Joe and the rest riding their horses down the prairie. In essence, this technique features a similar idea of a picture on top of a picture which becomes revealed.
The Process.
Follow these steps as precisely as you can and notice what you notice about your motivation levels.
1. Think about something you love to do, that gets you happy and excited. If you had more time or opportunity, you’d love to do more of this. It can be anything, for example, travel to Paris, being with certain friends, catching a fish… The key feature is that you are motivated to do this thing because you love it. A lot!
Create a picture in your mind representing doing this thing you love. We’re going to call this picture: “I love it.”
2. Create another picture. This picture represents a task at hand which you’d like to be more motivated to do. Exercising regularly, cleaning the garage, finishing the project, etc. Turn that idea or task into a picture. We’re going to call this picture: “I have to do it.”
Look at the picture and ask yourself, “On a scale of 1 – 10, how motivated am I do this?” Note the number.
3. Imagine you’re looking at a computer screen. On the screen full size like wallpaper is the picture of “I love it.” On top of that, imagine placing the “I have to do it” picture. So, you have a picture on top of a picture. You’re looking at the “I have to do it” picture, but you know that underneath it is the picture of “I love it.”
Imagine this! Quickly open up a small pinhole of light in the center of the “I need to do it” picture, and watch it grow in size getting bigger and bigger and bigger as it creates a circular window showing you the “I love it” picture. More and more of “I love it” is being revealed as it erodes away the picture of “I have to do it.” The round window expands (rapidly) to the point that the entire screen is now the “I love it” picture.
Yay! I love it. Study that picture. The feeling (happy, excited, and motivated) comes back to you just by looking at the picture. Holding onto this good feeling…
Now, reverse it. Shrink that circular window, close it back up, bringing back the original “I have to do it” picture and covering over the “I love it” picture. Now, on the screen, you see full size only the “I have to do it” picture.
4. Final step: Now, imagine a blank, white screen.
Lather, rinse, repeat. Begin again looking at the “I need to do it” picture and here comes that pinhole of light… Follow all the steps through to the point that you return to the blank, white screen.
Do this complete process of opening the window and closing the window, then blank screen, as fast as you can, about five to eight more times.
Test.
Look at the “I have to do it” picture and ask yourself: “On a scale of 1 – 10, how motivated am I do this?” Note the number. Odds are the new number is higher than where you started.
What just happened.
You’ve taken control of your own unconscious mind and directed motivation to a desired project. You’ve copied “I love it” energy and pasted it where you want it. Motivation on demand. Congratulations for being powerful!
Connie Brannan is a Licensed Trainer of NLP® through the co-originator of NLP, Dr. Richard Bandler. She owns and operate a private career school in Washington State, Mindworks NLP. If you'd like to learn more about the control panel in your mind and how to optimize your life, check out Mindworks NLP. We offer certifications in NLP through the Society of NLP®. http://www.seattlenlptraining.com
Connie is also a clinical Neuro Linguistic Hypnotherapist and offers private change work sessions blending hypnosis & NLP in Bellevue, WA. http://www.mindworkshypnosis.net.