No matter if you are a positive person or a negative person, you are halfway through attaining success... as you need to be both.
Expert Gabriele Gettingen discovered that you have the most chances of succeeding when you follow four steps, under the WOOP acronym, to achieve your goals. These four steps work because they act at two levels. The conscious, and the unconscious where most of our plans and goals are sabotaged by our fears. Take five minutes to do the following exercises without any distraction and they will rewire your brain in a way that no excuse or fear will prevent you from sticking to what it takes to achieve your goals.
You can use this method for any goal, in business (asking for a promotion, pay rise, pursuing a new career, etc,), health (exercise more, eat healthier) or in your private life (improve relationships, etc.)
1st. WHISH: Think about a desirable positive challenging thing that you Wish to accomplish.
2nd. OUTCOME: Search for the best Outcome that fulfilling this wish would bring for you. Imagine how it would look like, how would you feel, what positive consequences it would have for you.
3rd. OBSTACLE: Ask yourself what is your main inner Obstacle to attaining your wish. It can be an emotion, irrational belief, others' opinions...
4th. PLAN: Make a Plan to have an effective action or thought to overcome the obstacle(s). Summarize everything in an If -->Then plan. "If this obstacle happens then I will do this planned action". Take a moment to imagine each of the obstacles-->action.
Caveat: it only works if you first think positively about the Outcomes, and then, you think about the Obstacles. So Positivity first, and negativity Second.
Professor Gettingen has researched this method in different cultures, ages, work/life situations and it works!
