Willpower is Overrated
Let’s face it, we’re in information overload every day with thousands of decisions each day. When I ask goal setters what they think the #1 challenge is, I hear “Willpower” almost every time.
| What helps with goal success? |
Willpower is certainly helpful; however, willpower, a result of conscious thought, resides in the energy-hungry cerebral cortex. Our brains conserve energy and have much more efficient areas for most decisions.
Willpower only helps with about 1/6th of decision making. Our non-conscious brains make up nearly 5/6ths of our “Automated” decisions with functions like emotions, fight or flight, pain avoidance, and pleasure seeking.
Unstoppable Success
Internal Achievement Systems – Dreams → Goals → Knowledge of Strategy → Imagine enjoying the result → Visualization; Self-Esteem; Focus; and, Gratitude.
| Ideas for Visualization, Self-Esteem, Focus & Gratitude? |
External Achievement Systems, “Bowling Bumpers” – Accountability → Share your Activity Commitments with others → Set Small Activity Rewards for achieving small activity goals → Set increasing punishments for missing small activity goals. Pick punishments that get you motivated as we are wired for pain avoidance.
| What will be your personal External Achievement System? |
Internal & External Systems Suggestions
Internal Achievement Systems: Consider your dreams, fantasies, and desires; 90-second Goal Setting Exercise; Develop and clarify a weekly strategy for 90 days; Eliminate distractions including making too many decisions; Use your imagination with things like test drives, open houses, picture boards, meditations, and prayer; Visualize how you’ll feel in success and enjoy your spoils emotionally before you’ve received them like an Olympic athlete visualized getting the Gold medal a million times before the actual run; Daily gratitude journal; and, Protect your self-esteem at all costs including setting smaller 90-day goals and building on that success.
External Achievement Systems: Develop and refine Activity Strategy for each goal; Focus goals to no more than Three Professional, Two Personal, and One Relationship goal for each 90 Day period; Celebrate the small victories, don’t wait for quantum leaps; If you don’t do the activity, you don’t get the reward, you get escalating correction (1st miss = $25 to charity you can’t stand; 2nd miss = $100; and 3rd miss = $1,000); Okay to earn your way back to the 1st miss by making up the activity; Share your activity goals, rewards, and punishments with others, a coach, mentor, friend, internet; be Coachable.