Present-terms

[imported_carlosX]

I've always followed the rule of phrasing my goals in present terms. i.e., "I AM earning 1,000,000 dollars per year..." as opposed to "I WILL earn 1,000,000 dollars per year..."

Though recently I've heard an opposing viewpoint that says that it sparks cognitive dissonance to do it this way because your brain rejects the concept of what is not really true.

Now, I really believe that you need to visualize your goals to make them come true. You have to be able to close your eyes and imagine what it will be like to have achieved them.

I'd like to know what kind of tricks and tactics you guys have used to set your goals...

[Paul]

When I have a specific goal, I find someone with a similar goal as mine who has just recently accomplished it. It gives me the motivation I need.

For example...

I want to be a well-paid screenwriter. I have been talking on a message board to a man who is probably twenty years my senior who just sold a story to Sony I believe. The movie will be directed by the same director who did Vacancy and will start shooting this summer.

He told me a bunch of details on the process of how it all went about, and I envisioned myself going through the same process with the studios, etc.

I now find myself more motivated to write.

[Fidel]

Carlos, I can understand the cognitive dissonance thing.

The technique that really helped me, is to visualise achieving your goals on a timeline. ( I'm pretty sure everyone here is familiar with the NLP timeline exercise ).

What is great is that your mind can accept this : there is no dissonance if the goal is achievable within the time that you have set on your timeline. Visualise the 1,000,000 $ in your account on X date, by means of closer goals that will be achieved in the interim, like you visualising a new break-through Alpha Man series that everyone will have to have.

[Adam]

I once read somewhere that Jim Carrey wrote a $20 million dollar check to himself before he made it bigtime into hollywood for "acting services rendered", for motivation.

Needless to say, he's earned that much and more.

[magic-stone]

I read somewhere it was $2Million, he dated it and kept it on him all the time and when he got the money it was almost exactly the same date.

[UC]

Originally Posted by Adam

I once read somewhere that Jim Carrey wrote a $20 million dollar check to himself before he made it bigtime into hollywood for "acting services rendered", for motivation.

Needless to say, he's earned that much and more.

True what most people don't know is the following :

he wrote the dollar check a long time ago, and he told to himself than he'll get the $20 million on november 1993.

He signed up his contract by the time ...