The magic of turning negative thoughts into actions to achieve the goal
Introduction
Contrary to mainstream opinion, it is only positive thinking that prevents you from achieving your goals - no matter how great it is displayed on your vision board.
How so?
Absolute positive thinking trains the mind to start believing that we have already fulfilled the wishes of our hearts - draining our energy, reducing our efforts and obstructing the work required to reach the goal. In short, positive thinking alone is not enough to make our endeavors work, a measure of negative thinking is needed monitored.
But don't just talk, Gabriel Otinger, a professor of psychology at New York University and author of the critically acclaimed book rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Stimulus Science, draws on 20 years of research to conclude that while it's great to have positive aspirations, you'll need a good understanding of reality to be successful.
How can we be more successful in achieving our goals?
First, you need a goal, a clear and measurable idea of what you want to achieve. This is the positive part! Now you need to recognize your internal obstacles, and devote some time to getting to know where you might get stuck (negative zone). After that, you have to take that honest information and make actionable plans for how to overcome your obstacles.
It's a process known as mental inequality, a technique that visualizes to take a desirable positive future outcome and compare it to the perceived challenges you think you'll face. Crucially, you need to make sure you create your personal "jump on obstacles" plans in order for mental contrast to be effective and purposeful. These are the plans that will push you beyond the goal line.
Mental contrast like a professional with WOOP
WOOP is a science-based mental strategy that enables us to guide and modify our behaviors in more useful ways. It means Wish/Outcome/Obstacle/Plan and can help you succeed in key areas of your life.
This process can help you, whether it's caring for relationships, improving your career, or improving your health.
In addition, this technique allows us to strengthen our mental attachment, help us address our concerns, increase our energy levels, and ultimately perform better. It looks good, doesn't it?
How WOOP Works Well
WOOP takes a maximum of 5 minutes to complete on your own. So try to be somewhere with the least distractions - although the more you train for this, you can do it almost anywhere.
- First, think of something you want to achieve - ask yourself, "What's my dearest wish?" imagine that. Try to formulate it in a short sentence in your mind.
- Next, think about the best possible outcome to achieve your desire - it may be a passion or an accurate result. Let your mind indulge in this part;
- Then switch gears, and ask yourself, "What will stop me from achieving it? What could stop me? Is it self-doubt? Or procrastination? Maybe an unhealthy motive? Or something someone once said? Dig deep into it, be frank with yourself.
- Finally, keep in mind the obstacles you identify, and ask yourself, "What can I do to overcome them?" Think about when and where do you expect to meet them. Formulate an if/then plan for each obstacle.
Building plans for success
Developed by Professor Peter Goloitser at New York University, the If/Then plan is a simple way to implement your goals. The basic structure is: If {status} I will do {behavior}.
For example, if WhatsApp messages distract me from my work, I'll ignore conversations for one hour to focus. Or, if you're in the store and tend to pick up something unhealthy, I'll cross the aisles where the temptation lies.
Yes, this technology requires mental effort but works by launching automatic processes that help push you forward. You train yourself to recognize obstacles as they appear, and then alert the links already created in your mind to say, "Oh, there's that obstacle you thought about; that's what I have to do now.
Encouragingly, through Ottinger studies, participants became more enthusiastic about quitting smoking, losing weight, getting better grades, maintaining satisfactory relationships, and negotiating more effectively in business situations.
Rethinking positive thinking
I appreciate to some that this approach runs counter to the public view that positive thinking and negative blocking are the only way to go. Calling this practice "identifying obstacles" rather than "negative thinking" may be a more useful way to frame it.
Regardless, what matters most is the recognition that using a meaningful amount of this type of thinking helps add energy, motivation and effective solutions to achieve your goals. Now, this sounds like a very positive approach, doesn't it!
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