I am a 16 year old. I am a highly intelligent student and I have my beliefs intact (eg. Simple things like "if you think you can, then you can."). Report cards is tomorrow. I REALLY need to get an A average if I want to enter the university I desire.

My problem is that I lack the motivation, the drive, the will, to stick to my goals (like many students). My goal is to get ATLEAST an 86% average. I have all the resources, time, and excelent strategies I've developed over the years (I may write it into a book), but I simply lack the motivation.

My question: Can you guys help me motivate me and stay focused with NLP? Things like metaprograms and whatever terminology is out there.

PC

If you already had motivation in all the times and places that you can think off- using your intact beliefs and high intelligence, how would you be thinking about things differently? what would you need to add to your already intact beliefs and high intelligence and excelent strategies, knowing that you have posted this request on this forum- that demonstrates you already have a good motivational strategy in place- and if you was to allow that excellent strategy- move into other times and places- and just got thing's done- just by taking action would you give that a go and see yourself taking the right action- just like you did when you first sat down and requested help- being highly intelligent and having intact beliefs I am guessing- you already have made the right changes- in the right ways- and now you just have to take the right actions- to test things out- in side the real world-

J

Hi PC,

Motivation? well... there are many techniques, some are quick fixes, some more effective than others - but what about having something deeper and more sustainable which is not just for one thing but for everything?

I have the great pleasure of working with a Polar Explorer, a man who at 12yrs old decided he wanted to go to the South Pole and 24yrs later he did just that... trekked 730miles in 56 days and in temperatures as low as -70deg.

For the past two years I have been sitting down working out how he 'ticks' and when it comes to motivation this guy is... AWESOME!

Well, if you think about it, getting out of bed some mornings for some people is a bit of a chore... With Craig he had to get up every hour at night to dig his tent out of the snow, then go back to sleep, then to get up 1hr later, and so on... until it was time to start the next day, which of course involved pulling a laden sledge through icy, bone-freezing wind for upto 20hrs.

...for 56 days!

And the key to his motivation?

Simple... he knew with brutal honestly what was important to him, he knew what he valued.

All of Craig's goals were (and still are) born from his values. His values create the direction for his life and EVERY goal since he was 12yrs old has been a means to an end. More importantly, given your original question, his values are the source of his motivation.

Craig and I created an approach based on his exploits and mindset called Expedition to the goal™ - there's a lot that can be shared, but too much for this post, so here are a just few questions for you to consider. Ask yourself this...

* What is it you really value? - you'll probably have a list... great!

* Why do they hold such importance for you? - be detailed in your answer

* If these values could come together in one perfect moment, what will you be doing? Where will you be? Who with? - Really go for it when answering, remember Craig was 12yrs old when he said he was going to go to the South Pole!

Make the picture dissociated (i.e. see yourself in the image), make it a movie, full-blown colour, surround-sound, vivid experience.

Now add a soundtrack... all great movies have a soundtrack... some kick-ass tune which courses through your body.

Feels good, doesn't it!

Now choose this to be your direction in life and realise now the step you are about to take is en route to making this happen. Getting into university is a means to an end, achieving your A average is a means to an end, revising and putting in the effort now is a means to an end...

When you know this is what the future can hold for you AND that everything you do now and each step of the way is about what you really value in life, then everything is a lot easier, isn't it! ...in fact, you could say it's fun or perhaps even motivating!

This is just the tip of the iceberg (sorry, couldn't resist the pun! ) ...so much more can come from knowing and utilising your values.

By the way... Craig has a mountain named after him, been to the North Pole, took a 16yr old lad (whose only ambition was the dole and Playstation) to the North Pole (oh, and the 16yr old is now going to University, planning his own expeditions, and everyone around him is benefiting from his success) and has many other things in the pipeline... Along the way he has met royalty, top business leaders, celebrities from around the world, earned good money, enjoyed first-class positions in top companies - and those were just the 'accidental' bonuses.

He is happy, fulfilled and stacked full of motivation... Interestingly he has zero ego and has still not yet achieved his ultimate values 'perfect moment'... which has nothing to do with any expedition...

...and by day, he's an accountant!

So act in the now and enjoy the future - it's looking good!

Michael

PS - For any other readers of this thread who want to know more about realising your goals and sustaining your motivation... click here now

Thanks for replying, J. I can tell that you are a real practioner of NLP and its fundamentals.

"If you already had motivation in all the times and places that you can think off- using your intact beliefs and high intelligence, how would you be thinking about things differently?"

Before I respond, I just want to thank you for helping me realize more study strategies.

If I already had motivation in all the times and places that I can think of, my thinking would change in the following ways:

1. I would start paying more attention in class, and even study in class, and try and memorize things on the hour or minute I get it.
2. I would try and pretend that the thing is due the next day by going through all the thought processes that lead to it. I guess that is a motivation. I am a procrastinator. I need to stop it.

Thanks. BTW, can anybody teach me what my metaprograms are? What drives me? The dominant ones that I can use in school to help motivate myself and keep on track.

Thanks for your response, Michael. I found your post about the polar explorer inspiring.

As for as values are, I really have no clue. Could somebody help me create a heirarchy of values? I need the 101 for this.

I will answer your questions later because I think that once I have the values, the responses I have now will be entirely different.

PC

Hi Ryan

What's the difference for you between being motivated ? and Not being Motivated? in the context that applies to your request.

What's the difference between being on track and being off track? in the way that applies to your understanding.

How have you been motivated in the past?
How will motivating yourself occur in the future?
How have you been on track in the past?
How will being/keeping on track occur in the future?

1 "Present Positives"
Benefits you want to keep?

2 "Present Negatives"
Thing's you want to eliminate?

3 "Future Positives"
Benefits you want to achieve?

4 "Future Negatives"
Thing's you want to avoid?

If you was to designed a new way to have a motivational strategy using the 4 pre-sets- and from answering the questions what would you have to be doing- seeing and feeling - so you could have it as a functional way of being in your life- life being in the now-

Take your time when answering the questions- and be brutally honest with yourself- these question are more for you to answer to yourself-

You know nothing lol hehehehe

J

Hi Ryan,

A great book on metaprograms is "Words that change minds" by Shelle Rose Charvet. You can get a used copy on Amazon for less than ten pounds. It will allow you to worrk out your own metaprograms based on the words you use when you answer questions.

There is a site that uses the techniques in the book to do this on line, you can get a free test online and it gives a lot of information about metaprograms.

labprofile.net

look for take the test at the bottom of the page.

PowerChamp wrote: (link)

Thanks for your response, Michael. I found your post about the polar explorer inspiring. As for as values are, I really have no clue. Could somebody help me create a heirarchy of values? I need the 101 for this. PC

Hi Ryan

I agree with Michael's approach he's developed a rather cool and effective way of dealing with things.

You asked for a values 101. Try this:

Values in context
First, write a list of contexts in your life. Here are some to prompt your thinking:
· school/college;
· family/home;
· leisure/recreation;
· job/work;
· peers/friends;
· etc, etc.

For each of these contexts, ask yourself:
· “What’s important to me about [context].” Note the answer and then ask yourself,
· “What’s important to me about [answer] in [context].
· Keep on repeating this until you can go no further. This final answer is a value in the specific context. It shows what is important to you in that part of your life.
· Perform this question and answer technique with each of the contexts in your list.
· What similarities and differences you have obtained?
· What values can be grouped?
· Which values stand alone?

Values in action
Next, think about some difficult choices you have made in your life. Then answer the following questions about each situation.
· What was difficult or challenging about the situation?
· When you made the decision, what was important to you?
· What do the answers to these questions reveal to you about what your values are?
· What similarities and differences you have obtained?
· What values can be grouped?
· Which values stand alone?

Combining resources
Using the answers to the two exercises above look at:
· What similarities and differences you have obtained?
· What values can be grouped?
· Which values stand alone?
What do you conclude overall about your values?

Ranking Values
To put your values in order of priority take each one and compare it to the others. Ask yourself, “If I had to choose between Value 1 or Value 2(3, 4 etc) which would I choose. Which one is more important to me?” If you have difficulty choosing, invent yourself a scenario where they are in conflict and see of your decision about what to do helps illuminate the most important value. For example, if you had values of health and integrity. Imagine a situation where your health would be put at risk if you retained your integrity (someone will do you physical harm if you tell the truth). What you decide to fib and protect your health, or tell the truth and get hurt?

Keep a score of how many times you felt Value 1 was the most important.

Then go to Value 2 and compare it to the remaining values in the same way, keeping a score.

Do this for all your values. You can now rank the values in score order.

You can do this by yourself. Or you can get someone else to ask the questions to you and facilitate the process. Perhaps you have a local NLP practice group where someone would do this with you and you could swap over.

If anything is not clear, let me know. Have fun with it and learn loads!

Cheers

Carl

One thing I find is that even asking the question about Values can be confusing for some.

How can you be clear what YOUR values are if you are unsure what the words mean and its one on those words that everyone will have their own take on or particular flavour or even context if you like.

So here’s mine. I don’t know if it’s official or if you are better off not using it but I am sure a Master will correct it if that is case. Caveat emptor as they say in Latin America.

Values are essentially they same as beliefs. They are the things we hold to be true. For example:
1 Respecting your parents is important
2 The earth is flat
3 George Bush is a warmonger
4 God exists and Jesus, his son, is our Lord etc.

So what turns a belief in to a value?

Time and effort basically. If you devote resources into confirming the belief then it starts to become one of your values. You may then prioritise them and do other wonderful things. So taking our examples. If I believe these (1-4) but never do anything about them they stay as beliefs. However if:

1 I visit my parents twice a week and call them ever other day. I also take them out on trips.
2 I am working on a research program where I am assessing masses of data which proves the Earth is flat.
3 I am organising a web site and protests against the War in Iraq.
4 I go to church regularly and my family all help with charity work for the poor in our community just as Jesus wants me to do.

Then these may form up my values in life. Another way of looking at it is how do I spend my week and what beliefs are in action during that time.

Working from this perspective makes Carl’s great post even more powerful for me.

Good luck and hope this is useful.

John

War is god's way of teaching us geography

Going back to original post - "Motivation" is a strategy as are just about everything we do or don't do. A good NLPer will build you a great motivation strategy.

Typical problems with a motivation strategy are the person beings to feel overwhelmed and needs to be chunked down

the person moves away from stress, anxiety, unpleasantness

the person uses harsh tonality resulting in bad feelings.

An example could be Ad (nice self talk) leading to a Vc (seeing how nice it will be when completed) to a positive K (great feeling).

Strategies need three loops to be functional except when it comes to me, of course, then a Vc or Vr leads directly to a positive K.

Stay well,
Marjorie