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Increase Your Motivation

By Roger Ellerton Phd, ISP, CMC, Renewal Technologies Inc.

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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 carry 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? If there are potential negative consequences, perhaps you need to weigh the pros and cons about proceeding with the task or modify it to minimize the negative concerns.
  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). 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 5-7 as fast as you can at least five times, pausing briefly between each repeat to clear your mind.
  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 5-7 or verify that the motivating picture is truly motivating or that you really want to complete the task.

This process 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 them together possibly doing something they both enjoy and the motivating picture would reflect a time when they were truly in love with each other.

Author: Roger Ellerton is a certified NLP trainer, 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.

Books and ebooks by Roger Ellerton

Consider the following books and ebooks by Roger Ellerton.

NLP book: Live Your Dreams NLP book: 5 step action plan NLP book: Parents' Handbook NLP book: Win-Win Influence Self-Publish Your Book NLP and Personal Growth Thoughts Volume 1 Book: NLP Techniques Anyone Can Use
  • Live Your Dreams Let Reality Catch Up: NLP and Common Sense for Coaches, Managers and You covers all of the basic NLP material and is a great resource for coaches, managers and those wanting to learn NLP.
  • Live Your Dreams Let Reality Catch Up: 5 Step Action Plan provides a road map for achieving your goals or coaching others to do so.
  • Parent's Handbook: NLP and Common Sense Guide for Family Well-Being provides effective ways to improve your communication with your children and your children's communication with you, their teachers and friends. You will also learn how to support your children in school and elsewhere.
  • Win-Win Influence: How to Enhance Your Personal and Business Relationships provides proven processes for you to be the difference that makes the difference in creating better results in your life, career or any place two or more people gather.
  • Self-Publishing Your Book: A Guide for First-Time and DIY Authors shares insights and experiences based on my mistakes and lessons learned while writing and publishing eight books. This book is getting a little dated, however there are many ideas that you should find useful.
  • NLP and Personal Growth Thoughts: A Series of Articles by Roger Ellerton. Volumes 1 and 2 each contain 15 articles. Some articles will educate you on basic NLP concepts, while others will challenge your current way of thinking and how you view the world around you.
  • NLP Techniques Anyone Can Use provides ten typical NLP processes that illustrate the breadth and potential of NLP.

For more detailed information on these books, please click here.

These books are available through various online book retailers including Google Play and Amazon.