SGM Jan. 2014 Weekly Message Four: “Setting Intentions, Overcoming Procrastination, and Taking Confident Action”
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Welcome back to the January 2014 Edition of Spiritual Growth Monthly. I’m Kevin Schoeninger. It’s great to have you with us here at SGM!
This month, we’ve been exploring some key insights and tools from my program “The Life You Are Meant To Live.” You’ve opened up to miraculous possibilities, gotten clear on what your soul desires, and learned how to avoid the pitfalls of being overly-attached to specific results. In this Week’s Message, you’ll discover how to set powerful intentions, overcome procrastination, and take confident, highly-effective action. Let’s start with setting powerful intentions.
Whatever you would like to create, grow, and attract in your life, it’s empowering to set a clear and focused intention for that. Keeping in mind that Life may show you different and even better possibilities, a clear, strong intention has the power to set your life in motion toward the experiences you truly desire. Here are six guidelines for setting intentions from our friend Matt Clarkson.
Powerful intentions are:
A) Positively stated.
B) Good for all.
C) Clear & concise.
D) In present tense language.
E) Believable & authentic.
F) Stated along with your specific evidence for knowing it has happened.
For example, when I wanted to write and publish my book, “Keys To Inner Power,” I set that intention like this:
“I write and publish my book “Keys To Inner Power” on Amazon.com by December 31st 2012 to empower others to release inner limits and take inspired action to create the life they desire!”
As a result of that intention, I did write and publish this book and make it available on Amazon.com on December 27th 2012.
O.K. so that was a successful intention. Since that time, I have discovered that this was just a first step in the life of this book and that really “getting it out there” is a journey that still continues. It’s that journey that adds meaning and purpose to my life and adds value and benefit to many others along the way.
Yes, setting intentions can be highly effective.
However, what do you do when you set good intentions and find yourself procrastinating even on the very first steps? What are some keys to getting unstuck and moving forward?
In the book, “The 60-Second Motivator,” physical therapist and motivational writer Jim Johnson, PT, explains the secrets to moving through procrastination and motivating yourself to do anything! Johnson communicates his message through several short vignettes. He describes how a physical therapist nicknamed “The 60-Second Motivator” gets his patients to do what they need to do for recovery when none of the other doctors, therapists, or assistants are able to get them to do it.
Here are two client stories, one to illustrate each of Johnson’s two keys to overcoming procrastination and getting motivated.
First, there’s Mr. Anderson (p. 18-23, T60-SM). Mr. Anderson is 67 years old and just had a total hip replacement. As part of the recovery protocol, the doctors like to have their patients up and on their feet using a walker within the first couple days. Yet Mr. Anderson wouldn’t budge. He’d been told what he needed to do and why he needed to do it, but none of the nurses or therapists had been able to get him up and moving. Here’s what happened:
The 60-Second Motivator walks into Mr. Anderson’s room and greets him. He tells him that he is there to see how he is doing with moving around.
Mr. Anderson replies that he can get out of bed just fine and use his walker.
The therapist notices that Mr. Anderson’s mood is very grumpy. He comments that he looks a little tired today and asks how he is feeling.
Mr. Anderson replies that he hasn’t been able to sleep more than a couple hours since he’s been there.
The therapist empathizes with him and agrees that it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep in the hospital because of the noise and the lousy mattresses.
With that comment the patient perks up a bit and agrees.
The therapist goes on to ask how Mr. Anderson’s appetite is.
Mr. Anderson replies that it’s terrible because the food is just awful.
The therapist agrees that hospital food is the worst.
Mr. Anderson gives a little smirk.
The therapist then makes his big move. He says, “It looks to me like you’re going to feel a whole lot better when you get home.”
The patient really perks up and replies, “You think they’ll let me go soon?”
The therapist sees his opening and says that there’s only one problem standing in the way. The doctor won’t release Mr. Anderson until he shows that he can move around. “He needs to know that you can get around fine at home,” he says.
Mr. Anderson replies that he can do that just fine.
The therapist says that he just has to see Mr. Anderson do it, so he can document it on the chart.
Mr. Anderson agrees and says the sooner he’s out of there the better. He slowly gets up and is helped to stand in his walker. The two of then go through his exercises.
So, what was the secret to getting him moving?
Moving became important to him. He realized that he needed to move around and do his exercises to get to go home—and getting home is what he really wanted. Once that connection was made, he was up and at it.
Think about an intention that you’ve wanted to achieve for a while, but haven’t been able to get yourself to complete . . .
How important is it to you? Is it more important than the other alternatives that you end up doing instead? Something has to be important enough for you to choose it over any other option.
For example, say you want to meditate first thing in the morning, but lying in bed for 15 more minutes is more important to you than that. Or say, that you want to lose weight, but having the taste of that ice cream is more important to you. Or perhaps, you’ve wanted to exercise, but your desire is just not strong enough to get you off the couch. In all these cases, importance is lacking. In order for you to engage in a new action consistently, it’s got to mean something very important to you. The new thing you want to do has to be a top priority so you will choose it over everything else.
Personal importance is essential to motivation.
So, ask yourself, why is what I want to do a top priority for me? Why is it something I will choose over all other options? What would it take for this to be really important to me?” For example, some people don’t start meditating, exercising, or eating well until they have a stroke or a heart attack. Is there some way you can feel that kind of urgency without an emergency?
Now, what about those times when something is important to you, but you still don’t seem to get yourself into action? You know it’s what you want, you feel it strongly, yet you find yourself talking about it again and again without making any headway. It hangs out there, just out of reach, as something you know you “should do” and want to but never get around to.
Here’s another story from Johnson about the second key to motivation (p. 25-31, T60-SM).
Mrs. Chandler was an elderly woman who fell and broke her hip. Surgeons had put a plate and screws in to hold her bones together. She needed to get up and start moving around to begin her rehab, but, like Mr. Anderson, she just wouldn’t budge from her bed.
The 60-Second Motivator introduced himself to Mrs. Chandler and asked how she was doing with moving around. She looked worried and asked if he could come back later. She said she just wasn’t ready yet.
The therapist pointed out to Mrs. Chandler that lying in bed would just make her weaker and weaker which would make it harder to get up.
Mrs. Chandler responded that she knew it was important and the best thing to do, but that she just couldn’t do it right now.
The therapist looked at her chart and asked, “Didn’t you fall at home?”
Mrs. Chandler replied that she had slipped in the bathroom and broke her hip.
The therapist empathized that that must have been very scary.
Mrs. Chandler confirmed that it was “very scary” and the “worst experience in her life.”
The therapist saw the issue and said that he wouldn’t be in a hurry to get out of bed if something scary like that had happened to him.
Mrs. Chandler said “You’re darn right. The last thing I need to do is fall again and break the other hip!”
Again empathizing, the therapist said that he didn’t blame her at all for how she felt. Then he suggested that sooner or later she would have to get up and get moving. She had already acknowledged that she knew the importance of that.
She agreed.
He then went on to describe how the hospital was the best and safest place for her to get back on her feet. They had a walker for her and a gait belt to go around her waist—and he would be right by her side every step to get her started. With those three things in place, there wasn’t any chance that she would fall. He assured her that they would be very careful.
Mrs. Chandler’s worried look relaxed. She said she was willing to give it a try seeing how careful they would be.
What was it that got Mrs. Chandler over her fear?
She needed confidence that she could do it. She needed to know that it was safe for her to try. A big part of this confidence came from seeing “how” she could do it safely. She saw that the therapist had a safe technique for her to get walking again and that he would be there to make sure that she didn’t fall.
Think over something that you’ve wanted to do, something that you know for sure is very important, but you haven’t been able to get it done. Is it because you doubt your ability to do it? Maybe you doubt that you have the resources or the “know-how.” Maybe you’re afraid of what might happen if you try.
For example, you know it’s good to meditate every day, but you’ve tried it many times and found yourself frustrated, so you doubt your ability to do it. You’ve tried to lose weight before and seem to always yo-yo back to your previous weight or higher, so you’re reluctant to go down that road again. You’ve tried to exercise and hurt yourself using the equipment, so you’re hesitant to go to the gym. You’ve tried to earn money doing what you love and found yourself deep in debt, so part of you resists that idea.
In all these cases, you may know something is important, you may really want it, but you may doubt your abilities, resources, or that it’s really possible for you. You may be reluctant, hesitant, and resistant to what you truly desire. You may need evidence that you can really do it. One way or another, you’ve got to build your confidence. That is the second key to motivation.
Confidence can come from believing you have a good method, technique, or plan to follow. It can come from blocking out time, setting aside resources, or investing in learning a new skill.
You can gain confidence by taking small steps in the direction you choose. Your success in each small step will grow your confidence to move forward. You can grow your confidence by simplifying what you want to do down into small, short sections and taking it slowly, one little action at a time.
You can also gather confidence by enlisting the support of others, such as a coach, trainer, or partner.
What would give you the confidence you need to achieve what you desire?
At SGM, I am here to assure you that you are unique, valuable, and capable—you are here on purpose and have all the resources you need to do what you are here to do. I believe that you can experience what you truly desire. I believe the Core part of you knows what to do. My intention is to offer you insights, tools, practices, and a community of support for your journey.
So, what is it that you want to grow in your life? Is it a self-care practice such as meditation, healthy eating, or exercise? Is it a new business or career? Is it a home or abundance in some other form? Is it deeper, more loving, relationships? Is it your art, your novel, or your garden? Is it a deeper sense of spiritual connection?
Whatever you want to grow in your life—make it a daily practice. Do one thing every day to build what you truly desire. Invest a little time and energy each day to research it, talk about it, develop your resources, and grow your skills and confidence. Take action—any action—no matter how small. Then watch what you desire gain momentum and gather assistance in ways that you could never have imagined.
Until next time,
Take time every day to grow what is most important to you!
Kevin