When asked during an interview how he managed to reach the top as a professional bodybuilder and Hollywood actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger replied with a single word, “Drive!” 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 unavoidable obstacles along the way.
Take a moment to think about the goals you’ve 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? What if you wanted them so badly that you knew with absolute certainty that you would absolutely, 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’ll establish a positive feedback cycle, such that your desire will continue to increase on a daily basis.
Here are 6 steps you can take to cultivate burning desire to achieve any goal you set for yourself:
1. Burn the ships.
I’m not going to pull any punches with this one. 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, you can raise a cheque of N100000 to pay a committee of friends if you fail your exams. Nobody wants to lose their money carelessly. 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.
2. Fill your environment with desire boosters.
Let’s say one of your important goals is to pass you exam successfully. Get some poster board, and make your own posters that say, “I have passed X and always look at and say it to yourself to hear every morning and night,” where X is your goal, and put them up around your house. Change your screensaver to a text message that says the same thing
3. Surround yourself with positive people.
Most people often make the mistake of sharing their goals with anybody. Please 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 criticism and discouragement.
4. 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 successful in your exams, read audio visual materials that will ease your success for at least 1 hour daily. If you want to do anything in life whether on relationship, business, parenting etc. then start devouring books that relates to that aspect of life. Go to seminars on occasion. I advise that you feed your mind with some form of motivational material (books, articles, audio programs) for at least fifteen minutes a day.
5. Replace sources of negative energy with positive energy.
Take note and control what goes into your mind that affect your attitude — what you read, what you watch on TV, the cleanliness of your home, etc. Note which inputs influence you negatively, and strive to replace them with positive inputs. I’ll give you some good places to start. First, avoid watching TV news — it’s overwhelmingly negative. Do you really need to hear about the woman who was butchered to death by her jealous husband? Fill that time with positive inputs instead, like motivational and educational audio programs daily
6. Take immediate action.
Once you set a goal for yourself, act immediately. As you begin working on a fresh new goal, don’t 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. This is actually the step that differentiates you from procrastination and excuses. I know many people who want to write their exam. Unfortunately, they have not taking any step at all and they need the certification to rise in their career. Taking immediate action is like the ignition of a car. Without igniting the engine, the car will not move. If you know that you have difficulty taking immediate action, recite “I am an action person” 7x morning and night.
Please post your comment below and I will personally reply them.
Regards
Tayo Stephen
