In the classic bookThe Art of War, Sun Tzu notes that soldiers fight the most ferociouslywhen they believe they're fighting to the death. A good general knows that whenattacking an opposing force, it's important to create the illusion of a potential escaperoute for the enemy, so they won't fight as hard. What escape routes are you keepingopen that are causing you not to fight as hard?If you don't burn those ships, you are sending the message to your subconscious mindthat it's ok to quit. And when the going gets tough, as it inevitably does for anyworthwhile goal, you will quit. If you really want to achieve your goals, then you've got toburn those ships to the ground, and scatter the ashes. If you're thinking that the averageperson won't do this, you're right -- that's why they're average.
2. Fill your environment with desire boosters.
Let's say one of your important goals is to lose weight. Get some poster board, and makeyour own posters that say, "I weigh X pounds," where X is your goal weight, and putthem up around your house. Change your screensaver to a text message that says thesame thing (or to some equally motivational imagery). Get some magazines, cut outpictures of people who have bodies similar to what you'd like to have, and put them uparound your house. Cut out pictures of healthy food that looks good to you, and postthose around your kitchen. If you work in an office, then alter your office in the samemanner. Don't worry about what your coworkers will think, and just do it! They may pokea little fun at you at first, but they'll also begin to see how committed you are.
3. Surround yourself with positive people.
Make friends with people who will encourage you on the path to your goals, and find waysto 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, forinstance, get yourself into a gym, and start befriending those who are already in greatshape. You'll find that their attitudes become infectious, and you'll start believing that youcan do it too. Meeting people who've lost one hundred pounds or more can be extremelymotivating. If you want to start a new business, join the local chamber of commerce or atrade association. Do whatever it takes to make new friends who will help you keep yourcommitment.Although this can be difficult for some people, you also need to fire the negative peoplefrom your life. I once read that you can see your future just by looking at the six peoplewith whom you spend the most time. If you don't like what you see, then change thosepeople. There's no honor in remaining loyal to people who expect you to fail. One of thereasons 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 spendinga 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 worthcatching.
4. Feed your mind with empowering information on a daily basis.
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