How to move from dream to work: 4 steps to motivation

Do you have a business that you should do, but you can’t finish it? You need to move from thoughts to actions , it is difficult, but possible. There is a solution that can help not only simplify changes, but also increase motivation. This is WOOP , a technique developed from the results of a study by Gabriel Oettigen.

You want to work more in the office , go to the gym, find a new job or study hard at school ... but this does not happen. And what if you don’t even get down to business? WOOP can force you to act if you are not motivated to achieve long-term goals.
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Yes, woop. This abbreviation of 4 steps to achieve any goal. The algorithm is based on the study of Gabriel Oettingen:

1. W ish - Desire.
2. O utcome - Aim.
3. O bstacle - Obstacle.
4. P lan - Plan.

Can a method with a dumbest name in the whole history of sociology work seriously? Yes!
People who say they want to do more and use the WOOP method act much more efficiently:

The first step is to want. We are all doing fine with this item, but this is only part of the solution . In fact, if you desire wrong, then aggravate the situation.
Here's how to do it right.

1) Desire (but do not stop at this)

At the beginning of everything are desires. But if this is all - you are really in trouble.
A positive attitude is largely necessary, because a negative point of view increases the likelihood that we will abandon the case, or even do not proceed to it.

But when a positive attitude turns into a fantasy, the situation deteriorates very quickly. Yes, dreaming of success is bad.

Again and again the results were unchanged. Positive fantasies, desires and dreams, divorced from assessments based on previous experience, did not turn into motivation, leading to a more energetic and interesting life. They were transformed into something completely opposite.

Why? Derek Sievers explained this in his remarkable TED talk .

The emotional brain simply cannot distinguish fantasy from reality.

When you dream, the ancient parts of the mind believe that you have already reached the goal. Therefore, motivation does not increase, but decreases.

So: one of the reasons for the low productivity of positive fantasies is that they do not create the energy necessary to strive for the realization of the desired.

Sorry, Sekret fans - it just doesn't work. Dreams transform positive thinking into the usual attempts to pass the desirable to the real.

So if the method does not work, why do we still use it? Simple and clear: it is uplifting (like regular snacking or checking mail 216 times in an hour, this seems significant).

Dreams of a beautiful future seemed protection from sadness for a short time, but only kindled it in the future. They coincided with a short period of pleasure, which inevitably eroded and led to increasing depression.

Want to lose weight? Those who just wanted to lose 11 kg less than evaluating themselves more negatively.
Want to meet that one?

"The more the students ... had fun in pleasant dreams ... the less likely they were to start a relationship."

Trying to find a new job?

“The more often students practice positive dreams, the less success they have achieved.”

So desire by itself can be very harmful. So what, according to the research, are we missing?

2) Define a specific goal.

This part is simple. In Oettingen's work, it says that you need to take a desire and give it shape. Be specific.

- So, if you want “more money”, the expected goal may look like “get a promotion at work”.
- Do you dream to improve the balance of work and personal life? Your goal might be “not working for the weekend.” Never".

So your desire has become clear. And here begins the most difficult. We need to go to the negative.

3) Provide obstacles

Oettingen calls this "mental opposition." You need to leisurely think about the dirty tricks that can stand in the way of achieving the goal.

And now something really interesting: some people do it, and their motivation is growing. At the same time, others stack up with her fall.

Does this mean that the technique is less productive? No, it says she is adorable. Why?
People who did not experience an upswing realized that their current goal was unrealizable.
Mental opposition does not only motivate people. It also helps to realize what goals really worth striving for.

When people looked at difficulties and understood that they had every chance to overcome them (“I want to get a promotion”), the motivation grew.

And those who evaluated the obstacles and came to the conclusion that the goals were unrealistic (“I want to become Australian Prime Minister by Thursday”), noted a decrease in motivation.

The second ones lost confidence and did not waste their time. Therefore, the results for both groups that used mental opposition were positive.

And this is not just a highbrow science, it all corresponds to the ancient wisdom. The Stoics talked about this thousands of years ago.
Ryan Holiday, the author of the delightful book “Obstacle is the Way,” explains the concept of the Stoics:

... we assume that it can go wrong, that it will go wrong, in advance, before the start of the activity. Too many ambitious endeavors failed for preventable reasons. Too many people do not have a backup plan, refusing to admit that something can go quite the way they want.

Today, this technique not only helps CEOs make deals. She saves lives.

Dan Coyle, an expert on specialized knowledge, says that this is a necessary part of preparing American special forces for any dangerous mission:

... they spend the whole morning checking for every potential mistake or emergency that might happen during a mission. Any possible puncture is subjected to a thorough examination, and the corresponding reaction is tied to it: if the helicopter makes a forced landing, we will make A. If we are not thrown out at the right point, we will make B. If we are in the minority, we will make B.

You looked into the eyes of the complexities. There is only one step left to what you want ...

4) Make a plan

Mental opposition is so effective, for it allows you to combine desires and reality. This is a stress test for a desired goal.

Subjecting doubt to one's desires leads to an understanding of how to act in reality.
Verdict: Forget Napoleon Hill and obey Bob the builder. Yes, that guy.

Napoleon Hill said: "Think positively." Tell yourself you are capable of it. For example, "I will have a million dollars." This is again "The Secret."

And Bob the builder says nothing. He asks the children: “Can we build it?”

The difference seems small, but the questions are very effective. They make you really appreciate the problem:

Those who approach the tasks from the position of Bob the builder, basing the internal dialogue on questions, are superior to using a more traditional encouraging declarative conversation with themselves.

Doubts create plans. And plans help to be more productive, to conquer stress and even become happier.

The study of “making plans” has shown that small “if-then” dependencies should be created to work with tricks.
For example: "If I am on a diet, and they offer me dessert, then I will agree only on a cup of coffee."

The study demonstrated that the method helps even addicts who have become addicted to stand up and get back to work:

... eight out of ten addicts who used the “implementation of intentions” sent a summary. Of the dozen drug addicts who have not developed a preliminary plan, none have done so.

So, we have dealt with four aspects of WOOP. Now summarize all of the above and begin to use in your life?

Results

Try it now. This second. Read - do not.

Watching football will not make you a defender, 60 years of the sitcoms have not made people more fun, and watching movies with Bruce Lee has not taught anyone to fight. Do you want to turn from a dreamer into a "doer"? Try it now:

1. Wish for it. What achievements do you dream of?
2. Formulate a goal. Be specific. What should be the result?
3. Prevent difficulties. What stands in the way?
4. Develop a plan. What will you do when faced with an obstacle? "If ... it happens, then I ...".

See how it drives away empty dreams and leads to the path to a dream?

WOOP recalled one of Stephen J. Ross’s quotes:

There are 3 categories of people: a person who, coming to the office, puts his feet on the table and dreams of 12 hours in a row; a person starting work at 5 am and plowing 16 hours without a break for dreams; and a man who thinks for an hour, throwing his legs on the table, and then doing something to fulfill his fantasies.

Blog posts can't change your life. And can you.

PS We recommend another article on the topic - 8 steps to success from the most successful people .

Translated by Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult .