Your Most Powerful Success Tool of All

[Martin.Avis]

Andy Henry started an interesting thread yesterday about how so many people sabotage their own success by putting 'but' obstacles in their own way.

Obstacles are funny things. When we use our conscious minds we tend to assess the size of the obstacle and jump over the ones we feel comfortable with. That way lies progress.

But our subconscious works differently. It doesn't have the means to assess scale: an obstacle is an obstacle no matter how big or small it might be. When we allow our subconscious to determine our progress, it normally has to wait at each obstacle until it sees proof that it can safely pass.

That's why we have to force ourselves to do things that we are uncomfortable about - so that the subconscious can see that it wasn't an obstacle at all. Then we move on and up.

To do this requires the most important tool in our mental toolbox of all: motivation.

Motication literally moves mountains.

By total coincidence I wrote a short article in my newsletter yesterday about motivation - and so rather than hijack Andy's thread by moving into a slightly different topic, I'll put it here.

Excerpt from Kickstart Newsletter

Motivation can be an elusive beast. Just deciding what the word means can be more complicated than you'd think!

Some time ago I wrote my own definition in Kickstart and ended up with an inbox full of readers emails saying that they would define it completely differently!

But whatever it means to each of us individually, we know when we've got it.

And more importantly, when we've lost it!

At the risk of starting another debate, my current definition of motivation is this:

Motivation is that state of mind in which doing something is far more attractive than doing nothing.

What then, can we do when we find that doing nothing has started to win the day again?

Here are five things ways:

1. Write down your goals.

Your goals are your promise to yourself. They are what you MOST desire. By writing them down you are effectively entering into a contract with yourself to achieve them.

Never underestimate the power of writing goals down. It is the difference between a vague plan and a determined action.

2. Re-write your goals.

Your goals are the map to where you want to go. They keep you on track to reach your most desired destinations.

However, sometimes things change in our lives and our most desired destination yesterday is no longer so attractive today. But we tend to assume that because the goal has been created, we have to stick with it.

To coin a cliché, you CAN move your goalposts.

Often, motivation wanes because the goal that was paramount in our life before has declined in importance now.

We only want to have goals on our list that fill us with excitement - so if you are tenaciously hanging on to one that no longer lights your fire, your entire pool of motivation is being slowly poisoned.

Regularly reassess your priorities and revise your goals accordingly.

3. Make your dreams tangible.

So you want to be rich? Make that vague desire real.

Go to your local realtor/estate agent and ask to view properties that are ten times the value of your current one.

Go and look at brand-new prestige cars. Take a test drive.

Go and browse in the best designer clothes shops you can find.

You are not doing all this to tease yourself. You are doing it to reinforce to your subconscious EXACTLY what it is that you desire. You are giving the 'I want to be rich' idea a basis in reality.

A goal that you can live, breathe, touch, feel and smell is FAR more powerful and motivating than one that is vague and unformed.

4. Make yourself accountable.

Your mastermind group is ideal, but if you don't have anything so formal, talk to a trusted friend. Tell them what you want to achieve to make your goals come true and HOW you are going to take action in the short term.

Make each short-term step on your journey something that you'd be embarrassed to NOT achieve.

Fear of embarrassment is a great motivator.

5. Consciously set yourself up for success.

There is nothing more motivating than success. And luckily, your subconscious mind doesn't have any concept of scale.

Our subconscious - which, after all, is the part of us that really decides whether we're currently motivated or not - only deals in yes/no, black/white, success/failure options. It doesn't care if a success is tiny or huge - all it sees is success or absence of success.

Give it enough absence of success and it will kick in a self-defence mechanism that stops you from wanting to try any more. Result: goodbye motivation.

Just knowing this fact is massively powerful.

Use it by deliberately making small victories - that are in alignment with your larger goals - easy to achieve. Feed your subconscious what it most desires - continual success.

Each small victory will not only bring you a little closer to your goals, but it will also re-ignite your enthusiasm and motivation by telling your subconscious that you are doing the right thing.

[jaybaker]

That is very true. That fits right inline with one of the 5 points I have made in my latest ebook. That point is TAKE ACTION!

[actionplanbiz]

yes small victories are wonderful! its like getting that 1st down so you can make it to the end zone.

[Martin.Avis]

Originally Posted by goliathseo

That is very true. That fits right inline with one of the 5 points I have made in my latest ebook. That point is TAKE ACTION!

Taking action is important, but taking focused, directed action is magic!

Martin