Motivation - Your Pictures become your Reality

by Marc Lebert

Do you ever wonder why people join a gym never to show up again? Because their goal was to join a gym, and once they signed that membership- they met their goal!

Surprise- we are reaching our goals all the time. Whatever you are getting now as results is due to what you have already (consciously and/or unconsciously) thought about happening. Joining a gym is a good option to get fit but unless you think very clearly about what happens next you will not make use of that membership.

The flowing equation is something I like to share with clients. It’s a distilled sequence of how we reach our goals (remember that what you are getting currently as a result is a goal attained).

PICTURES drive EMOTION which direct BEHAVIOURS  = RESULTS.

All of our thoughts are stored as pictures or images (hence the term self-image) and those pictures drive an emotional response. In other words, whatever we PICTURE ourselves doing, we will FEEL like doing. When a person signs up at a gym, they have been thinking about joining a gym for some time. The pictures got them excited about seeing the facility, meeting the sales person, etc. and those feelings directed them in the door.

Now fast forward a few weeks. The excitement has waned and they are driving past the gym on the way home work with no excitement for the place and they e\certainly don’t feel like exercising after working all day! They needed different pictures if their goal was to get into shape. And that’s the main point- the pictures have to match EXACTLY the end result you want. They have to be rehearsed hundreds of times a day to build that excitement to MOVE (behaviour) into a new habit. With the “right” pictures many of us can actually “feel like” doing anything, even exercise!

You need a story first- more than just “I am going to join a gym”, a story that is comprehensive, thoughtful and exciting. For example; “I am lean at 15% body fat, I weigh 120 lbs and I look drop dead gorgeous in that red dress, I have enough energy to mountain bike up the mountains in Banff next spring, with my husband by my side. We are having a great time, I can feel the crisp morning air fill my lungs and flow through my hair. We are admiring the beauty of the hillside, the trees are in bloom and the birds are singing. My husband tells me what a great idea this was and how great my legs look when I sprint up ahead of him.”

As a trainer you might find it strange that the first thing I recommend is not the treadmill or the weights but the pen. Sure, exercise is vital but your chances of sticking with it are not good without first creating a new story with lots of fantastic images and sounds, etc. you are the director of your own movie. The best way to do that is to write the story out. Create, have fun. Take thoughts that are temporary and fleeting and get them a little more permanent. You would not present a business plan to the bank without doing lots of this first. Like exercise, consistency is one of the keys. Write everyday and soon these new pictures will create an excitement and without being able to explain it, you will just feel like working out.

Contrary to popular belief, reaching your goals is not about struggle or trying harder but about creating new pictures and your imagination. Get started now and soon you will be FEELING like doing what it takes to get there.

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