Linking Emotion

Last week, we talked a bit about using buzz words to get yourself to work. In the third example I gave, I something like said, "If you like the sense of accomplishment you get AFTER you've done your days work, remind yourself of what that sense of accomplishment feels like."

I called that linking emotion. It's a trick I learned listening to such motivational greats as Tony Robbins and Brian Tracy.

Simply put, the trick is to remind yourself of how you will feel AFTER you are done with the day's work...or the project that you're procrastinating about.

If you cannot get yourself to work, linking in to how you will feel if you get it done is a fabulous way to get yourself working.

For instance, will you feel proud that you got yourself to work? If so, close your eyes and remember what it feels like to be proud of yourself. Soak yourself in that emotion for a good minute or two. Get yourself to the place where you want to feel that pride so much that you're willing to sit down in front of the computer and tackle the project/job that's bedeviling you.

There's another way to link to emotion that Tony Robbins calls the Rocking Chair tecnhique. I go through this at length in the goal setting workshop in the WORKSHOPS section of the website.

Simply put, you close your eyes and visualize yourself 5, 10 and 15 years from now if you CAN'T or DON'T get yourself to do your work. Let yourself FEEL all the emotions of that failure. What terrible things will happen to you if you don't sit down and do this work? Will you set off a chain reaction that ultimately results in total failure? Yikes! Feel those emotions. Feel the catch in your chest and the rumble of hunger in your belly when you can't make enough money to afford food!

That's right. Go to the wall. Imagine the worst thing possible if you don't do this work today? Will you not get your book done? Lose your contract? Never get a contract? Be stuck in your lousy day job for TWENTY MORE YEARS? Or, worse, have to go back to work, but you can't find a job in your profession so you're stuck at Sheetz, saying welcome to sheetz, pump #3 is on.

Or what if you never make money again? What if you're homeless? What if your husband leaves you and your kids want no part of you?

What if?

Go to the wall! Feel the pain! Make it real!

Then open your eyes, shake yourself out, and close your eyes again to visualize the chain reaction of events that will happen if you DO GET YOURSELF TO DO THE WORK. Will you make your editor happy? Get a sale? Get a new contract? Have a career -- in the ten-years-from-now segment? Have a life? Maybe a savings account or a new home from the money you've made? How about a beach house or cabin in the woods? The car you've always wanted? A country club membership?

What good and wonderful things will you set into motion...if you can get yourself to do today's work?

Probably lots.

After you've done that technique, you should be "linked" to the emotions of both the failure and the success of doing or not doing the day's work. You should be eager to get done whatever needs to be done today.

So that's linking to emotion. Very cool, huh?

You can learn how to press your own buttons so that you don't have to be at the mercy of your emotions or you fears.

If you want more on this, check out Tony Robbins' book AWAKEN THE GIANT WITHIN or his 30-Days to Personal Power program.

Happy Monday!

susan meier

PS SECOND CHANCE BABY releases this week! It's the second in the BABIES IN THE BOARDROOM series. I'm very proud of this series, but also I'm grateful that so many of you bought book 1! I hope you'll like book 2!