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Increase Your Motivation

By Roger Ellerton Phd, ISP, CMC, Renewal Technologies Inc. www.renewal.ca

At one time or another, each of us has chosen or made a commitment to carry out a task that we are not fully passionate about or motivated to complete. Examples include, cleaning your office/desk, making "cold calls", taking an elderly relative shopping.

The following NLP process can be used to increase your motivation or other feelings (or if you are a coach, those of your client) about a task that you have decided to participate in or complete. It is based on a process developed by Richard Bandler, one of the co-founders of NLP.

1. Check the Ecology. If you were to be really motivated, or passionate or enjoy carrying out this task, what are the possible impacts (in the short- and long-term) on those systems of which you are a part - family, work, etc.; on you or your health; and on any parts of you, such as a creative part or safety part.
2. Create a Task Picture. In your mind, create a dissociated picture (i.e., you can see yourself in the picture) participating in the task or activity. Call this Picture #2.
3. Break state. Briefly look out the window or notice something on the wall. The point here is to briefly clear your mind.
4. Create a Motivating Picture. In your mind, create an associated picture (i.e., you are looking through your own eyes) of something you really enjoy doing. Call this Picture #4.
5. Overlay the Task Picture. Re-introduce the task picture (#2) so that it is in front of and conceals the motivating picture (#4).
6. Create an Opening (Iris). Have a hole open in the middle of the task picture (#2), so that you can clearly see the motivating picture (#4) and you can feel all of the motivating energy emanating from this picture (#4). Do this quickly and make the hole sufficiently large to get all of the feelings from the motivating picture.
7. Close the Hole and Maintain the Motivating Feelings. Close the hole in the task picture (#2) only as fast as you can maintain all of the feelings from the motivating picture (#4).
8. Repeat. Repeat steps 3-7 as fast as you can at least five times, pausing briefly between each repeat.
9. Verify that a Feeling of Motivation is Associated with the Task. See the task picture (#2) in your mind. Is this now motivating for you? If not, repeat steps 3-7 or verify that the motivating picture is truly motivating or that you really want to complete the task.

This pattern can be used in a variety of coaching situations. For example, if you are coaching a couple on their relationship, you may wish to re-install the passion/love they originally had for each other. In this case, the task picture would be a picture of their partner and the motivating picture a picture of when they were truly in love with each other.

Author: Roger Ellerton PhD, CMC is a certified NLP trainer, coach, certified management consultant and the founder and managing partner of Renewal Technologies. The above article is based on his book Live Your Dreams Let Reality Catch Up: NLP and Common Sense for Coaches, Managers and You.

Copyright © 2008, Renewal Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.

Live Your Dreams Let Reality Catch Up:

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