All great success ultimately begins with an idea, but what makes ideas become reality is the fuel of human desire. An idea by itself can give you a temporary feeling of inspiration, but burning desire is what gets you through all the perspiration necessary to overcome the inevitable obstacles along the way.
Take a moment to think about the goals you have set for yourself.
How committed are you to achieving these goals? Under what conditions would you give up? What if you could significantly increase your desire to achieve these goals and wanted them so badly, that you knew with absolute certainty that you will positively never ever give up? When you are truly 100% committed to reaching your goals, you move from hoping to knowing. If you want something badly enough, then quitting is simply not an option. You either find a way or make one. You pay the price, whatever it takes.
Those with an intense, burning desire to achieve their goals are often referred to as being “driven.” But is this special quality reserved only for a privileged few? Certainly not. With the right approach, anyone can cultivate a deep, burning desire within themselves and move to a state of total commitment, knowing with certainty that success is as inevitable as the sunrise.
So how do you cultivate burning desire? You begin with an outside-in approach, altering your environment in ways that will strengthen your resolve while eliminating doubt. If you take the time to do it right, you will establish a positive feedback cycle, such that your desire will continue to increase on a daily basis.
Here are steps you can take to cultivate a burning desire to achieve any goal you set for yourself:
Burn The Ships
If your goals are really important enough to you, then you can start by burning the proverbial ships, such that you have no choice but to press on. For instance, if you want to launch your own business, you can begin by making the commitment to quitting your job. Write a letter of resignation, put it in a stamped envelope addressed to your boss, and give it to a trusted friend with firm instructions to mail the letter if you have not quit your job by a certain date.
One Las Vegas casino manager made the decision to quit smoking. He did not feel he had the personal willpower to do it alone, so he took out a billboard on the Las Vegas Strip with his photo on it along with the words, “If you catch me smoking, I will pay you $100,000!” Was he able to quit smoking? Of course he was. This is called willpower leveraging. You use a small bit of willpower to establish a consequence that will virtually compel you to keep your commitment. As Andrew Carnegie once said, “Put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket!”
A good general knows that when attacking an opposing force, it is important to create the illusion of a potential escape route for the enemy, so they will not fight as hard. What escape routes are you keeping open that are causing you not to fight as hard?
If you do not burn those ships, you are sending the message to your subconscious mind that it is ok to quit. And when the going gets tough, as it inevitably does for any worthwhile goal, you will quit. If you really want to achieve your goals, then you have got to burn those ships to the ground, and scatter the ashes. If you are thinking that the average person will not do this, you are right, that is why they are average.
Fill Your Environment with Desire Boosters
Make friends with people who will encourage you on the path to your goals, and find ways to spend more time with them. Share your goals only with people who will support you, not those who will respond with cynicism or indifference. If you want to lose weight, for instance, get yourself into a gym, and start befriending those who are already in great shape. You will find that their attitudes become infectious, and you wll start believing that you can do it too. Meeting people who have lost one hundred pounds or more can be extremely motivating. If you want to start a new business, join the local chamber of commerce or a trade association. Do whatever it takes to make new friends who will help you keep your commitment.
Although this can be difficult for some people, you also need to fire the negative people from your life. I once read that you can see your future just by looking at the six people with whom you spend the most time. If you do not like what you see, then change those people. There is no honour in remaining loyal to people who expect you to fail. One of the reasons people fail to start their own businesses for instance, is that they spend most of their time associating with other employees. The way out of this trap is to start spending a lot more time associating with business owners, such as by joining a trade association. Mindsets are contagious. So spend your time with people whose mindsets are worth catching.
Feed Your Mind with Empowering Information on a Daily Basis
Inspirational books and audio programs are one of the best fuel sources for cultivating desire. If you want to quit smoking, read a dozen books written by ex-smokers on how to quit the habit. If you want to start a business, then start devouring business books. Go to seminars on occasion. Feed your mind with some form of motivational material (books, articles, audio programs) for at least fifteen minutes a day. This will continually recharge your batteries and keep your desire impenetrably strong. When you absorb material created by an extremely passionate person, you will often find yourself feeling more passionate as well.
Replace Sources of Negative Energy with Positive Energy
Whenever you pass by a mirror, which is probably several times a day, you get an instant dose of image reinforcement. So what image are you currently reinforcing? Would you dress any differently if your goals were already achieved? Would you sport a different hairstyle? Would you shower a bit more often?
If you like the ripped jeans and T-shirt look, it is a good idea to visualise yourself in the future, having achieved certain goals, you will be dressed a lot smarter. With some experimentation find a style of clothing that looks professional and is also comfortable. Gradually donate your old clothes to charity and replace your wardrobe with clothes that fit your new identity It is so important to take pride in your appearance, you will certainly feel noticeably different. So make sure the clothes you wear each day are consistent with your new self-image.
Use Mental Programming
This is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) technique that will help you associate strong positive emotions to whatever goal you are working to achieve. Find some music that really energises and inspires you. Put on your headphones and listen to it for fifteen to twenty minutes, and as you do this, form a clear mental picture of yourself having already achieved the results you want. Make your imagery big, bright, vivid, colorful, three-dimensional, panoramic, and animated. Picture the scene as if looking through your own eyes (this is very important). This will help you form a neuro-association between the positive emotions elicited by the music and the goal you want to achieve, thus strengthening your desire. This is a great way to begin each day, and you can even do it while lying in bed when you first awaken if you set things up the night before. You should cycle the music periodically, since the emotional charge you get will tend to diminish if you listen to the same songs each time.
Keep in mind that this form of mental programming is already being used on you by advertisers. Watch a fast food TV commercial, and you will note that the food is big, bright, and animated, spinning burgers, lettuce flying through a splash of water, ripe tomatoes being sliced, not forgetting the catchy tune. So instead of letting others program your desires for you, take charge and mentally reprogram yourself.
Take Immediate Action
Once you set a goal for yourself, act immediately. As you begin working on a fresh new goal, do not worry so much about making detailed long-term plans. Too often people get stuck in the state of analysis paralysis and never reach the action stage. You can develop your plan later, but get moving first. Just identify the very first physical action you need to take, and then do it. For instance, if you have decided to lose weight, go straight to your refrigerator, and throw out all the junk food. Do not think about it or ponder the consequences. Just do it immediately.
One of the secrets to success is recognising that motivation follows action. The momentum of continuous action fuels motivation, while procrastination kills motivation. So act boldly, as if it is impossible to fail. If you keep adding fuel to your desire, you will reach the point of knowing that you will never quit, and ultimate success will be nothing more than a matter of time.
If you apply these strategies, you will add so much fuel to your desire that the fire will never burn out. You will move towards your goals like a guided missile to its target, and enjoy the process because you are so focused on the positive rewards instead of the difficulty of the tasks.
If you get enough positive energy flowing into you, you will soon have positive results flowing out of you. And, quickly become the kind of person that others refer to as “driven.”
With thanks to Steve Pavlina
https://stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/03/cultivating-burning-desire/
