Museletter  - June 2004

My News

I'm very happy to report that after coaching for over two years I have taken the plunge become a full time coach and motivational speaker. It's great to be able to spend my time helping others to create more success and happiness for themselves. And to be paid for doing it is even better! My new website is now functioning, so please check it out, as I have put on lots of items which I hope will be of interest. I ran my seminar: The Easiest Way to Double Your Profits at the Royal Institute of British Architects last month and the thrust of my seminar follows in my Muse. Remember that you can replace 'Doubling Your Profits' with any goal you may have. 

My Muse

I believe your mind, and particularly your subconscious brain, is more powerful than any computer. Most of us don't use our minds to the best of its ability. You may have a goal - say to double your profits - but struggle to make the most of that amazing capacity. To maximise the brain's potential we need to know what motivates it:

Although I accept, to quote my favourite movie line of all time, 'We are all individuals' I believe we all work in fundamentally the same way, and the bottom line is the same: our behaviour is motivated by the need to experience pleasure and the need to avoid pain. It's always about feelings. We may think that we are motivated by other desires but it's not the desire to be rich, for example that drives us - it is the feelings that we think being rich would bring us.

So to double your profits, you need to become aware of what feelings you think you would have if you achieved your goal. Write down how you would feel if you doubled your profits before you read on.

Motivation is perceived potential pleasure. Let's say that you create a moderately high motivation level but the effort in doubling your profits is very high. Your subconscious brain will decide that with this ratio, the effort, which is perceived potential pain, is greater than the perceived potential pleasure. So it will protect you from the pain. It may do this by sabotaging your efforts to attain it: you may find that you get easily diverted or that you just forget about the goal. Either way the subconscious has done its job of protecting you from pain.

Your subconscious is very clever, perhaps your greatest asset. But you need to get it on board, convincing yourself that your goal is in your own best interest. Then the subconscious will start generating ideas to help you reach your goals.

So how do you do this? Let's assume that the effort involved to double your profits is as before. What you need to do is increase your motivation.

You need to really connect with the reasons why you want to double your profits. Many of us would respond that: "It's obvious why I want to double my profits." But is it? Are those feelings you jotted down the real feelings behind the goal? Some of us want to double our profits so that we get to choose to work on more interesting schemes and then would feel more creatively stretched.

Others may want to use the money to take their family on a lovely holiday, because they feel that the most important thing is the feeling of togetherness. Someone else may want to double their profits to allow their retirement fund to kick in. While others may need to double their profits just to survive in business and reduce the stress of living on the margins.

These are just examples. The most powerful reasons for you will be your own. What feelings do you want to create? What would the results be in various areas of your life if you did achieve the doubling of your profits? Give yourself time to really connect with the feelings. What other benefits would you have if you doubled your profits?

When your motivation is really strong and much greater than the perceived effort then your subconscious brain will kick in with some great ideas on HOW to achieve your goal.

To go with your ideas, you will need a plan of action. Don't forget to leave some time to regularly check if you are on target and make adjustments to ensure success. So it's best not to get too attached to the ideas and methods. Better to get attached to the outcome, and achieving your goals!

Please don't short change yourself with an in-effective goal. It's like filling up with half a tank for a 300 mile journey. You won't get there!

That's the Easiest Way To Double Your Profits!

Book Recommendation

The Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

This book, written by the authors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books is a lovely story with a powerful message. The Aladdin Factor is the ability to get what we want by having the confidence to ask for what we want. It covers the major stumbling blocks to asking, and teaches simple techniques to overcome them. Simple and effective, that's what I like! 

 

To buy the book click here