1. Visualize
2. Tell yourself whatever you visualize is already here
3. Be willing to do whatever it takes
4. and Realize there is no such thing as failure.
Last week I talked about step 1 - Visualization. This week I wanted to talk about having the faith to believe that the goal will happen.
One of the toughest things I've discovered is pushing on toward a goal when things don't look encouraging. Writing after rejection. Entering a contest after mean contest judge comments. Reading reviews after one of my books have been trashed. Exercising when the scale won't budge. Eating healthy when it doesn't seem to matter if it's carrot sticks or donut sticks, the weight is still there.
My take on step 2 of Dr. Dyer's outline is to have faith. To truly believe that those things we want -that we put the effort and energy into working for and visualizing, will actually manifest. They will come true. We might not have a solid handle on the when. Or even on the how. But if we visualize - we see a goal and really believe, without restrictions or rules or worries, but believe that it'll happen... then it will.
Its not easy. I get frustrated when I'm 'doing everything right' and not getting any results. In the past, that's usually the signal for me to just quit trying and focus on things I can get results from. But not this time, not now. Instead, I'm having faith that the images I so carefully visualize will become reality. I don't know when, I don't know if what I'm doing now will make it happen of if I'll discover something great tomorrow that makes it all click faster. But I do know that quitting guarantees failure.
How about you? Do you have any special tricks to keeping the faith and staying positive that your visualizations and goals will come true?
Tawny Weber writes hot, spicy stories for Harlequin Blaze. In January 2010, her novella, YOU HAVE TO KISS A LOT OF FROGS, was out in the Blazing Bedtime Story anthology and her next full length Blaze,, RIDING THE WAVES, will be out in September 2010. Come by and visit her on the web at www.tawnyweber.com
9 comments:
Wow, Tawny, what philosophical questions you are posing! I think you are definitely at the root of the problem, but I'm still struggling with how to make myself do those things I don't necessarily want to do in order to achieve my goals.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that we have to do the same things in order to be successful at writing, weight loss, keeping a clean house, or anything else we hope to achieve. The real struggle seems to be juggling everything. My tendency is to concentrate on one thing at a time to the detriment of all others. Any thoughts on that?
Hi Tawny,
We talk about this a lot over on my group blog, The Moody Muses, and we struggle with some of the same things you mentioned here. Have you read the teachings of Jack Canfield? I'm a little obsessed with him right now and I highly recommend his book, 'The Success Principles.' One of the things Jack encourages, and I am pulling together for myself, are a dream book and a vision board - the dream book to hold pictorial representations of the goals I want to achieve in my life, the vision board for the more short term goals (and something I can keep out and look at every day). I think these things will help me with the visualization. There are other little tricks I want to eventually tackle, too. In the meantime, I look forward to reading the next installment in your goal achieving posts!
-Becca Wilder
Sally, have you ever written out a day plan, literally hour by hour? I've done that before and was surprised how much I got done on different things. Granted, if you have a day job and/or kids, it has to be adjusted for those things, but you might try it and see. For instance, mine might be:
8 a.m. -- Get up (not an early riser here)
8-9 -- Eat breakfast, read e-mail, read and/or write blog posts
9-10 -- Work out while listening to a book on the iPod or watching something on my TiVo (mixing exercise with something really fun, and killing two birds with one stone)
10-12 -- Write
12-12:30 -- Eat lunch and watch The Daily Show
12:30-1 -- E-mail
1-3 -- Write
3-4 -- Clean house, do the grocery shopping, run errands, whatever
4-6 -- Write or promo work
6-7 -- Dinner with hubby
7-10 -- TV (exercise for 30-60 minutes while doing this), e-mail, pay bills, other personal "stuff" that has to get done
10-12 -- Read for pleasure
Midnight -- Sleepy time!
Of course, this has to be adjusted for when you're traveling, have other commitments like things with kids, etc. It's just an example. But it's very interesting what can get done when I plan to that degree. I don't do it all the time, but will pull out the method when I feel like I'm not getting anything done.
Becca, I like the visual representations. You know, I think I'm going to pull out this photo of me and hubby from our first year of college and put it on the fridge. :)
Hey all :-) I drove down to Vegas today so have been internetless so I'm sorry to bed so late, but will be right back with responses :-D
Sally, juggling is so hard, isn't it? That's one of my biggest challenges, too. I think it helps a little to realize that the challenges are the same in all areas, at least it lets you know - hey this is my challenge *g*
If it's always discipline - the discipline to sit down and write, the discipline to get out and exercise, then you can focus on discipline itself, instead of worrying about writing or exercise. Do affirmations on discipline. Remind yourself that you simply do these things, that there aren't options since you know your visualization is going to manifest.
A friend asked once if I ever thought I'd never sell a book. I said no, I've always known I'd sell. I didn't know if it'd take 3 years or 30, but I knew it'd happen someday.
Does that help?
Hi Becca :-)
I'm a huge fan of Jack Canfield. I've read The Success Principles so many times - and definitely think dream books, affirmations and vision boards are powerful tools that really help in achieving goals. Especially if visualization isn't an easy, natural skill. Seeing pictures, reading a 'scene' in which you're living your goal, is a very intense thing that helps a lot
Trish great idea!!! I don't do hourly scheduling, because I tend to get stressed when I'm minutes behind *g* But I do make a to do list the night before of everything I need to realistically accomplish the next day. It really helps!
Tawny,
I really find focusing on the process (and enjoying or appreciating it for itself) as opposed to obsessing about the outcomes really helpful. Enjoy it moment by moment - just that basic zen stuff (as I understand it).
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