Cultivating Burning Desire

When asked during an interview how he managed tocultivating desire. Nightingale Conant has some of the
reach the top as a professional bodybuilder andbest. If you want to quit smoking, read a dozen books
Hollywood actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger replied withwritten by ex-smokers on how to quit the habit. If you
a single word, "Drive!" All great success ultimatelywant to start a business, then start devouring business
begins with an idea, but what makes ideas becomebooks. Go to seminars on occasion. I advise that you
reality is the fuel of human desire. An idea by itself canfeed your mind with some form of motivational
give you a temporary feeling of inspiration, but burningmaterial (books, articles, audio programs) for at least
desire is what gets you through all the perspirationfifteen minutes a day. This will continually recharge
necessary to overcome the inevitable obstacles alongyour batteries and keep your desire impenetrably
the way.Take a moment to think about the goalsstrong.When you absorb material created by an
you've set for yourself. (You have set goals, haven'textremely passionate person, you'll often find yourself
you? If not, go read the article on setting clear goals.)feeling more passionate as well. A great book I read
How committed are you to achieving these goals?was Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz, the
Under what conditions would you give up? What if youCEO of Starbucks. As I read the book, I was
could significantly increase your desire to achieveabsolutely amazed at how someone could be so
these goals? What if you wanted them so badly thatfanatically enthusiastic about coffee. Other
you knew with absolute certainty that you wouldenthusiasm-building authors/speakers I highly
absolutely, positively never ever give up? When yourecommend are Harvey Mackay and Zig Ziglar.5.
are truly 100% committed to reaching your goals, youReplace sources of negative energy with positive
move from hoping to knowing. If you want somethingenergy.Take an inventory of all the sensory inputs into
badly enough, then quitting is simply not an option. Youyour life that affect your attitude -- what you read,
either find a way or make one. You pay the price,what you watch on TV, the cleanliness of your home,
whatever it takes.Those with an intense, burning desireetc. Note which inputs influence you negatively, and
to achieve their goals are often referred to as beingstrive to replace them with positive inputs. I'll give you
"driven." But is this special quality reserved only for asome good places to start. First, avoid watching TV
privileged few? Certainly not. With the right approach,news -- it's overwhelmingly negative. Do you really
anyone can cultivate a deep, burning desire withinneed to hear about the woman who was mauled to
themselves and move to a state of total commitment,death by her neighbor's dog? Fill that time with positive
knowing with certainty that success is as inevitable asinputs instead, like motivational tapes and CDs. If you
the sunrise.So how do you cultivate burning desire?like to watch movies, then watch movies that are full
You begin with an outside-in approach, altering yourof positive energy, such as light-hearted comedies and
environment in ways that will strengthen your resolvestories of triumph over adversity. Avoid dark, tragic
while eliminating doubt. If you take the time to do it right,movies that leave you feeling empty afterwards.
you'll establish a positive feedback cycle, such thatDump the horror books, and replace them with humor
your desire will continue to increase on a dailybooks. Spend more time laughing and less time
basis.Here are eight steps you can take to cultivateworrying. If you have a messy desk, clean it up! If you
burning desire to achieve any goal you set forhave young kids or grandkids, spend some time playing
yourself:1. Burn the ships.I'm not going to pull anywith them. Some of this may sound a bit corny, but it
punches with this one. If your goals are really importantwill really help increase your overall motivation. If you
enough to you, then you can start by burning thehave a hard time motivating yourself, chances are that
proverbial ships, such that you have no choice but toyour life is overflowing with too many sources of
press on. For instance, if you want to launch your ownnegativity. It's far better to happily achieve than it is to
business, you can begin by making the commitment tofeel you must achieve in order to be happy.6. Dress
quitting your job. Write a letter of resignation, put it in afor success.Whenever you pass by a mirror, which is
stamped envelope addressed to your boss, and give itprobably several times a day, you get an instant dose
to a trusted friend with firm instructions to mail theof image reinforcement. So what image are you
letter if you haven't quit your job by a certain date.Onecurrently reinforcing? Would you dress any differently
Las Vegas casino manager made the decision to quitif your goals were already achieved? Would you sport
smoking. He didn't feel he had the personal willpowera different hairstyle? Would you shower a bit more
to do it alone, so he took out a billboard on the Lasoften?Although for years I enjoyed the ripped jeans
Vegas Strip with his photo on it along with the words,and T-shirt look, I noted that when I visualized myself in
"If you catch me smoking, I'll pay you $100,000!" Wasthe future, having achieved certain goals, I was
he able to quit smoking? You bet! (Ok, bad pun.) This isdressed a lot more nicely. With some experimentation I
called willpower leveraging. You use a small bit offound a style of clothing that looks professional and is
willpower to establish a consequence that will virtuallyalso comfortable. So I gradually donated my old
compel you to keep your commitment. As Andrewclothes to charity and replaced my wardrobe with
Carnegie once said, "Put all your eggs in one basket,clothes that fit the new identity I was growing into.
and then watch that basket!"In the classic book The(Consequently, there's a Salvation Army store with
Art of War, Sun Tzu notes that soldiers fight the mostquite a stock of gaming industry T-shirts.) I learned this
ferociously when they believe they're fighting to theidea from an ex-Navy Seal, who stressed to me the
death. A good general knows that when attacking animportance of taking pride in your appearance, and I
opposing force, it's important to create the illusion of acan say with certainty that it makes a noticeable
potential escape route for the enemy, so they won'tdifference. So make sure the clothes you wear each
fight as hard. What escape routes are you keepingday are consistent with your new self-image.7. Use
open that are causing you not to fight as hard?If youmental programming.This is a Neuro-Linguistic
don't burn those ships, you are sending the messageProgramming (NLP) technique that will help you
to your subconscious mind that it's ok to quit. Andassociate strong positive emotions to whatever goal
when the going gets tough, as it inevitably does foryou're working to achieve. Find some music that really
any worthwhile goal, you will quit. If you really want toenergizes and inspires you. Put on your headphones
achieve your goals, then you've got to burn those shipsand listen to it for fifteen to twenty minutes, and as
to the ground, and scatter the ashes. If you're thinkingyou do this, form a clear mental picture of yourself
that the average person won't do this, you're right --having already achieved the results you want. Make
that's why they're average.2. Fill your environment withyour imagery big, bright, vivid, colorful, three-dimensional,
desire boosters.Let's say one of your important goalspanoramic, and animated. Picture the scene as if
is to lose weight. Get some poster board, and makelooking through your own eyes (this is very important).
your own posters that say, "I weigh X pounds," whereThis will help you form a neuro-association between
X is your goal weight, and put them up around yourthe positive emotions elicited by the music and the goal
house. Change your screensaver to a text messageyou want to achieve, thus strengthening your desire.
that says the same thing (or to some equallyThis is a great way to begin each day, and you can
motivational imagery). Get some magazines, cut outeven do it while lying in bed when you first awaken if
pictures of people who have bodies similar to whatyou set things up the night before. You should cycle
you'd like to have, and put them up around your house.the music periodically, since the emotional charge you
Cut out pictures of healthy food that looks good toget will tend to diminish if you listen to the same songs
you, and post those around your kitchen. If you work ineach time.Keep in mind that this form of mental
an office, then alter your office in the same manner.programming is already being used on you by
Don't worry about what your coworkers will think, andadvertisers. Watch a fast-food TV commercial, and
just do it! They may poke a little fun at you at first, butyou'll note that the food is big, bright, and animated --
they'll also begin to see how committed you are.3.spinning burgers, lettuce flying through a splash of
Surround yourself with positive people.Make friendswater, ripe tomatoes being sliced -- and don't forget
with people who will encourage you on the path tothe catchy tune. So instead of letting others program
your goals, and find ways to spend more time withyour desires for you, take charge and mentally
them. Share your goals only with people who willreprogram yourself.8. Take immediate action.Once you
support you, not those who will respond with cynicismset a goal for yourself, act immediately. As you begin
or indifference. If you want to lose weight, for instance,working on a fresh new goal, don't worry so much
get yourself into a gym, and start befriending thoseabout making detailed long-term plans. Too often
who are already in great shape. You'll find that theirpeople get stuck in the state of analysis paralysis and
attitudes become infectious, and you'll start believingnever reach the action stage. You can develop your
that you can do it too. Meeting people who've lost oneplan later, but get moving first. Just identify the very
hundred pounds or more can be extremely motivating.first physical action you need to take, and then do it.
If you want to start a new business, join the localFor instance, if you've decided to lose weight, go
chamber of commerce or a trade association. Dostraight to your refrigerator, and throw out all the junk
whatever it takes to make new friends who will helpfood. Don't think about it. Don't ponder the
you keep your commitment.Although this can beconsequences. Just do it immediately.One of the
difficult for some people, you also need to fire thesecrets to success is recognizing that motivation
negative people from your life. I once read that youfollows action. The momentum of continuous action
can see your future just by looking at the six peoplefuels motivation, while procrastination kills motivation. So
with whom you spend the most time. If you don't likeact boldly, as if it's impossible to fail. If you keep adding
what you see, then change those people. There's nofuel to your desire, you will reach the point of knowing
honor in remaining loyal to people who expect you tothat you'll never quit, and ultimate success will be
fail. One of the reasons people fail to start their ownnothing more than a matter of time.If you apply these
businesses, for instance, is that they spend most ofeight strategies, you'll add so much fuel to your desire
their time associating with other employees. The waythat the fire will never burn out. You'll move towards
out of this trap is to start spending a lot more timeyour goals like a guided missile to its target, and you'll
associating with business owners, such as by joining aenjoy the process because you'll be so focused on
trade association. Mindsets are contagious. So spendthe positive rewards instead of the difficulty of the
your time with people whose mindsets are worthtasks. If you get enough positive energy flowing into
catching.4. Feed your mind with empoweringyou, you'll soon have positive results flowing out of you.
information on a daily basis.Inspirational books andAnd you'll quickly become the kind of person that
audio programs are one of the best fuel sources forothers refer to as "driven.