Change is Hard. This Trick Makes it a Little Easier

Have you ever tried to change one of your habits and realized it was easier said than done? Welcome to the club. Changing any part of your life is hard, but Research Psychologist Gabrielle Oettingen has come up with a simple, proven way to achieve any goal.

Through psychological and nuero-scientific research, Oettingen discovered that visualization is the key, and the plan is called WOOP.

Wish

Outcome

Obstacle

Plan

Try this:

  1. Form a mental picture of your goal or desire (aka visualization), and make sure that picture has a TON of detail.
  2. Visualize all the real benefits of achieving your goal.
  3. Then, picture all the obstacles that are stopping you from attaining that goal. After all, if you can’t see the problem, you can’t find the solution.
  4. Plan a strategy to overcome each specific obstacle and picture yourself rising above it. If you can’t see yourself overcoming it, ask someone you trust for help, take steps to learn new skills, or change your wish.

When you write down your plan, you increase chances of success by 50%.

Oettingen’s research shows that this plan works best if you do each step of WOOP in the exact order stated above. And the WOOP smartphone app makes it that much easier.

Here’s this week’s challenge:

  • Pick up a pen and write down your positive affirmations. (ex. I am strong, I am in control, I am awesome.)
  • In the beginning, take 10 minutes to follow these steps 2-3 times a day with small goals/desires.
  • Take your fantasy of your positive outcome as far as you can. If your obstacles are real, and you don’t have an effective plan to overcome them, Oettingen suggests you take that wish/desire off your list and pick a more realistic one.
  • Try finding a WOOP buddy to follow this 4-step process with you — everything’s easier with a friend who can hold you accountable.

So, how will you be using WOOP this week?

I’d love to share this journey with you.

Head over to my Facebook page and get ready for an amazing community of men and women to cheer you on.

You got this!

-Kristal