| When asked during an interview how he managed to | | | | cultivating desire. Nightingale Conant has some of the |
| reach the top as a professional bodybuilder and | | | | best. If you want to quit smoking, read a dozen books |
| Hollywood actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger replied with | | | | written by ex-smokers on how to quit the habit. If you |
| a single word, "Drive!" All great success ultimately | | | | want to start a business, then start devouring business |
| begins with an idea, but what makes ideas become | | | | books. Go to seminars on occasion. I advise that you |
| reality is the fuel of human desire. An idea by itself can | | | | feed your mind with some form of motivational |
| give you a temporary feeling of inspiration, but burning | | | | material (books, articles, audio programs) for at least |
| desire is what gets you through all the perspiration | | | | fifteen minutes a day. This will continually recharge |
| necessary to overcome the inevitable obstacles along | | | | your batteries and keep your desire impenetrably |
| the way.Take a moment to think about the goals | | | | strong.When you absorb material created by an |
| you've set for yourself. (You have set goals, haven't | | | | extremely 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 you | | | | CEO of Starbucks. As I read the book, I was |
| could significantly increase your desire to achieve | | | | absolutely amazed at how someone could be so |
| these goals? What if you wanted them so badly that | | | | fanatically enthusiastic about coffee. Other |
| you knew with absolute certainty that you would | | | | enthusiasm-building authors/speakers I highly |
| absolutely, positively never ever give up? When you | | | | recommend are Harvey Mackay and Zig Ziglar.5. |
| are truly 100% committed to reaching your goals, you | | | | Replace sources of negative energy with positive |
| move from hoping to knowing. If you want something | | | | energy.Take an inventory of all the sensory inputs into |
| badly enough, then quitting is simply not an option. You | | | | your 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 desire | | | | etc. Note which inputs influence you negatively, and |
| to achieve their goals are often referred to as being | | | | strive to replace them with positive inputs. I'll give you |
| "driven." But is this special quality reserved only for a | | | | some 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 within | | | | need 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 as | | | | inputs 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 your | | | | of positive energy, such as light-hearted comedies and |
| environment in ways that will strengthen your resolve | | | | stories 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 that | | | | Dump the horror books, and replace them with humor |
| your desire will continue to increase on a daily | | | | books. Spend more time laughing and less time |
| basis.Here are eight steps you can take to cultivate | | | | worrying. If you have a messy desk, clean it up! If you |
| burning desire to achieve any goal you set for | | | | have young kids or grandkids, spend some time playing |
| yourself:1. Burn the ships.I'm not going to pull any | | | | with them. Some of this may sound a bit corny, but it |
| punches with this one. If your goals are really important | | | | will really help increase your overall motivation. If you |
| enough to you, then you can start by burning the | | | | have a hard time motivating yourself, chances are that |
| proverbial ships, such that you have no choice but to | | | | your life is overflowing with too many sources of |
| press on. For instance, if you want to launch your own | | | | negativity. It's far better to happily achieve than it is to |
| business, you can begin by making the commitment to | | | | feel you must achieve in order to be happy.6. Dress |
| quitting your job. Write a letter of resignation, put it in a | | | | for success.Whenever you pass by a mirror, which is |
| stamped envelope addressed to your boss, and give it | | | | probably several times a day, you get an instant dose |
| to a trusted friend with firm instructions to mail the | | | | of image reinforcement. So what image are you |
| letter if you haven't quit your job by a certain date.One | | | | currently reinforcing? Would you dress any differently |
| Las Vegas casino manager made the decision to quit | | | | if your goals were already achieved? Would you sport |
| smoking. He didn't feel he had the personal willpower | | | | a different hairstyle? Would you shower a bit more |
| to do it alone, so he took out a billboard on the Las | | | | often?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!" Was | | | | the future, having achieved certain goals, I was |
| he able to quit smoking? You bet! (Ok, bad pun.) This is | | | | dressed a lot more nicely. With some experimentation I |
| called willpower leveraging. You use a small bit of | | | | found a style of clothing that looks professional and is |
| willpower to establish a consequence that will virtually | | | | also comfortable. So I gradually donated my old |
| compel you to keep your commitment. As Andrew | | | | clothes 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 most | | | | quite a stock of gaming industry T-shirts.) I learned this |
| ferociously when they believe they're fighting to the | | | | idea from an ex-Navy Seal, who stressed to me the |
| death. A good general knows that when attacking an | | | | importance of taking pride in your appearance, and I |
| opposing force, it's important to create the illusion of a | | | | can say with certainty that it makes a noticeable |
| potential escape route for the enemy, so they won't | | | | difference. So make sure the clothes you wear each |
| fight as hard. What escape routes are you keeping | | | | day are consistent with your new self-image.7. Use |
| open that are causing you not to fight as hard?If you | | | | mental programming.This is a Neuro-Linguistic |
| don't burn those ships, you are sending the message | | | | Programming (NLP) technique that will help you |
| to your subconscious mind that it's ok to quit. And | | | | associate strong positive emotions to whatever goal |
| when the going gets tough, as it inevitably does for | | | | you're working to achieve. Find some music that really |
| any worthwhile goal, you will quit. If you really want to | | | | energizes and inspires you. Put on your headphones |
| achieve your goals, then you've got to burn those ships | | | | and listen to it for fifteen to twenty minutes, and as |
| to the ground, and scatter the ashes. If you're thinking | | | | you 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 with | | | | your imagery big, bright, vivid, colorful, three-dimensional, |
| desire boosters.Let's say one of your important goals | | | | panoramic, and animated. Picture the scene as if |
| is to lose weight. Get some poster board, and make | | | | looking through your own eyes (this is very important). |
| your own posters that say, "I weigh X pounds," where | | | | This will help you form a neuro-association between |
| X is your goal weight, and put them up around your | | | | the positive emotions elicited by the music and the goal |
| house. Change your screensaver to a text message | | | | you want to achieve, thus strengthening your desire. |
| that says the same thing (or to some equally | | | | This is a great way to begin each day, and you can |
| motivational imagery). Get some magazines, cut out | | | | even do it while lying in bed when you first awaken if |
| pictures of people who have bodies similar to what | | | | you 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 to | | | | get will tend to diminish if you listen to the same songs |
| you, and post those around your kitchen. If you work in | | | | each 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, and | | | | advertisers. Watch a fast-food TV commercial, and |
| just do it! They may poke a little fun at you at first, but | | | | you'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 friends | | | | water, ripe tomatoes being sliced -- and don't forget |
| with people who will encourage you on the path to | | | | the catchy tune. So instead of letting others program |
| your goals, and find ways to spend more time with | | | | your desires for you, take charge and mentally |
| them. Share your goals only with people who will | | | | reprogram yourself.8. Take immediate action.Once you |
| support you, not those who will respond with cynicism | | | | set 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 those | | | | about making detailed long-term plans. Too often |
| who are already in great shape. You'll find that their | | | | people get stuck in the state of analysis paralysis and |
| attitudes become infectious, and you'll start believing | | | | never reach the action stage. You can develop your |
| that you can do it too. Meeting people who've lost one | | | | plan 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 local | | | | For instance, if you've decided to lose weight, go |
| chamber of commerce or a trade association. Do | | | | straight to your refrigerator, and throw out all the junk |
| whatever it takes to make new friends who will help | | | | food. Don't think about it. Don't ponder the |
| you keep your commitment.Although this can be | | | | consequences. Just do it immediately.One of the |
| difficult for some people, you also need to fire the | | | | secrets to success is recognizing that motivation |
| negative people from your life. I once read that you | | | | follows action. The momentum of continuous action |
| can see your future just by looking at the six people | | | | fuels motivation, while procrastination kills motivation. So |
| with whom you spend the most time. If you don't like | | | | act boldly, as if it's impossible to fail. If you keep adding |
| what you see, then change those people. There's no | | | | fuel to your desire, you will reach the point of knowing |
| honor in remaining loyal to people who expect you to | | | | that you'll never quit, and ultimate success will be |
| fail. One of the reasons people fail to start their own | | | | nothing more than a matter of time.If you apply these |
| businesses, for instance, is that they spend most of | | | | eight strategies, you'll add so much fuel to your desire |
| their time associating with other employees. The way | | | | that the fire will never burn out. You'll move towards |
| out of this trap is to start spending a lot more time | | | | your goals like a guided missile to its target, and you'll |
| associating with business owners, such as by joining a | | | | enjoy the process because you'll be so focused on |
| trade association. Mindsets are contagious. So spend | | | | the positive rewards instead of the difficulty of the |
| your time with people whose mindsets are worth | | | | tasks. If you get enough positive energy flowing into |
| catching.4. Feed your mind with empowering | | | | you, you'll soon have positive results flowing out of you. |
| information on a daily basis.Inspirational books and | | | | And you'll quickly become the kind of person that |
| audio programs are one of the best fuel sources for | | | | others refer to as "driven. |