The next time you’re trying to get a particular behavior out of somebody else, or trying to build a strong internal motivation for yourself, ask yourself: which strategy will work best for the future?
Thom, I read your book "Cracking the Code" some years ago. Interestingly, the main take away I remember to this day is that we move away from pain more quickly than we move towards pleasure. I'm glad you wrote today's piece on that subject and lent it some very relevant context.
For a long time now I have said that our society values short-term gains at the expense of long-term stability. As you relate this to motivation, it makes quite clear that indeed sticks have been more popular than carrots among the "motivators" of our national dynamic. And it has worked to their end with tremendous success - until now.
As you say, eventually the pain/ fear becomes an ineffective motivator. We tire. And I believe through observation that most Americans are becoming extremely tired. I am.
How much more horror/ uncertainty are people likely to respond to? Not much from where I stand. Nothing's shocking, which should be shocking in itself.
We should certainly remain aware of the very real dangers of this moment, but we're going to need some carrots in order to do something about it. We are frozen in time as I see it, and only a gentle and warm showing of the possibility of betterment for all will thaw us into desirable and lively progress.
Great post. Let’s make the motivation strategy even more powerful. First elicit a bit of pain (doesn’t have to be much) to create movement (inertia is the enemy), then create strong pleasurable outcomes. The NLP Meta Pattern for Change is: (1) associate into present (unwanted/painful) state (2) dissociate from that state (3) associate into desired (pleasure) state (4) collapse #1&3. Developed by John Overdurf and written in detail in “The Meta Pattern “ Carson & Carson
Thom, I read your book "Cracking the Code" some years ago. Interestingly, the main take away I remember to this day is that we move away from pain more quickly than we move towards pleasure. I'm glad you wrote today's piece on that subject and lent it some very relevant context.
For a long time now I have said that our society values short-term gains at the expense of long-term stability. As you relate this to motivation, it makes quite clear that indeed sticks have been more popular than carrots among the "motivators" of our national dynamic. And it has worked to their end with tremendous success - until now.
As you say, eventually the pain/ fear becomes an ineffective motivator. We tire. And I believe through observation that most Americans are becoming extremely tired. I am.
How much more horror/ uncertainty are people likely to respond to? Not much from where I stand. Nothing's shocking, which should be shocking in itself.
We should certainly remain aware of the very real dangers of this moment, but we're going to need some carrots in order to do something about it. We are frozen in time as I see it, and only a gentle and warm showing of the possibility of betterment for all will thaw us into desirable and lively progress.
Great post. Let’s make the motivation strategy even more powerful. First elicit a bit of pain (doesn’t have to be much) to create movement (inertia is the enemy), then create strong pleasurable outcomes. The NLP Meta Pattern for Change is: (1) associate into present (unwanted/painful) state (2) dissociate from that state (3) associate into desired (pleasure) state (4) collapse #1&3. Developed by John Overdurf and written in detail in “The Meta Pattern “ Carson & Carson