Tips for keeping RESOLUTION!

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#1 How we can keep our resolution?

 

Sometimes, We make resolutions with brilliant ideas.

But, If the power of resolution and motivation goes weak,

The brilliant ideas start to be murdered too.

 

So, we need to learn the methods that "How we can keep our resolution".

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#2 SWITCH the book

 

Main content of this strategy that "How we can keep our resolution" comes from the book named SWITCH

 

 

Originally this book is focused on the persuading, like "How can we move people's feelings into action"

 

After I read this book, I thought that i can apply it for keeping resolution.

So, Let me share the tips and know-how for "keeping resolution." in the writing.

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#3 The Elephant and Rider

 

This book drew and analogy,

"Likened emotion to an elephant" and "likened rationality to a rider, an elephant trainer."

 

Emotion=Elephant / Rationality=Elephant Trainer

 

This means "Elephant (emotion) is more powerful than Rider (Rationality), when we behave and do something."

Think about it. Who will win the fight between elephant and Rider? Yeah the elephant would win.

Now we are going to learn about the know-how about elephant controlling.

 

By the way, What would be the "example case of elephant wins"?

Let’s suppose that someone named "A" made plan to get nice body shape as the goal of the new year.

Then "A" should go to gym first, But as you know,

"A" would usually feels tired when he came back from work.

 

The rider (Rationality) knows that "A" should go to gym

But what if the elephant (Emotion) says "hmm i am too tired to go gym"?

The elephant would take a rest stamping on the rider.

 

But this elephant is not just a bad boy.

You may heard this story before.

"Mother would go straight into the fire-burning house for grated,

If her child is in there. No matter situation is dangerous or not."

 

If only considered by rational aspect, mother can not do this dangerous behavior.

But, the elephant won and went straight into the burning house.

That means that elephant is not just a bad boy and has enormous power.

 

So, If we learn "how to handle elephant" as rational rider,

We can keep our resolution, and make it as an action.

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#4 Avoid decision paralysis

 

First of all, I want to say "Avoid the decision paralysis".

You may ask "What is the decision paralysis?" Let me explain it with cases.

 

Let’s suppose there is a "jam tasting promotion" in some bakery

One day, the bakery tasted 6 kinds of jams, and tasted 24 kinds of jams on another day.

 

 

Case1: Tasting Promotion with 6 kinds of jams

Case2: Tasting Promotion with 24 kinds of jams

 

ⓐ Which day has more customers visit?

ⓑ Which day has more purchases occur?

 

ⓐ people are more crowded in the tasting day of 24 kinds jams

ⓑ But the purchases were more occurred in the day of 6 kinds  jams

 

When customers have 24 kinds of choices, The push for choice gives irritation to them.

Too many options give headache to customers.

Even after they tried the jams, They still feel the confusion to make a decision.

 

Like this, when you make some decisions, Do not offer diverse options to yourself.

 

You would remember the case of the "A" from #3 paragraph.

The guy who want to build the muscle.

 

"A" decided to go to the gym.

But "A" does not know anything about weight training.

As a beginner, "A" have to care about only simple parts at first, like upper or lower of body.

 

But "A" did too much preliminary research.

So, he got too many optional knowledge about building the muscles,

Like "i heard that bicep give you nice body",

Or "i heard that backside deltoid give you nice body",

He got too may high-level information like this.

 

Then "A" got too many options.

Complicated feeling that comes from options,

Possibly give him resolution break.

 

What a ”A" have to learn is exact pose for perfect squat,

Not caring about specific muscle part.

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#5 Set the DEFAULT VALUE

 

Second, you have to set a fixed value, a default value.

You may heard about "default value" before.

 

When we get a new smart phone like I-phone or Galaxy,

These phones has its own factory default ring tone bell.

This would be one of the default ring tone of each smart phone.

 

How can we use the "default value" for psychological resolution?

You may heard this tip below.

 

"If you want to lose your weight, should reduce the size of rice bowl"

"The size of rice bowl" would be "default value" in this case

So, the default value would be "basic amount" of doing something.

 

If the rider (rationality) do not give clear criteria,

The elephant (emotion) would not get willing to move.

 

Let’s turn back to case of "A" again.

To build up nice body, "A" decided to avoid the "decision paralysis".

And decided to focus on the "push up".

 

However, "avoiding the decision paralysis" is not enough to keep his resolution.

"A" has to set up the his own "default value".

 

Then what would be the "default value" for the "push-up"?

It would be clear amount of volume and frequency for the "push-up"

So "A" should set the "default value" like,

"Making 100 push-ups in the morning, and another 200 push-ups after work"

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#6 Making Self-Manipulation

 

Third, you should make a self-manipulation.

Manipulation can be described as controlled marionette,

And self-manipulation can be described as self-controlled marionette.

 

I want to describe it as behavior that,

The rider (Rationality) seduce the elephant (Emotion) with some foods.

 

Let me tell you my self-manipulation case.

One of my goal is making my muscles bigger like case of "A"

 

There are a lot of weight training devices in my room.

(You can check it with the YouTube video that linked below of this writing)

 

 

The reason why I collect(?) these devices is, Not because that I am real collector.

Actually, these too many devices make me uncomfortable physically.

But, enduring this discomfort is one of the pleasure. Because, it is helpful to get my own goal.

 

I can brainwash myself with these devices (that are easy to see) like

"I have to do exercise! Look at so many devices I bought myself!"

"Oh these devices remind my passion to be muscle man!"

 

Here comes another case.

If someone want to read the book rather than watch the TV,

Then he can manipulate himself like making it hard to watch TV.

 

What he can do make the accessibility low to TV?

He can put some cover on TV, Or can set a password on TV that I hard to remember.

 

On the other hand, What he can do make the accessibility high to book?

He can set the bookshelf on the place that he can see easily, Or put favorite flowers next to the book.

 

in this way, controlling something that making easy to approach for me.

It is also can be called Self-manipulation

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#7 Habitulization

 

As final step, We have to make the resolution as a habit.

if you keep your resolution long time In this way, It will become a habit naturally.

 

If someone who has habit that pray before sleep,

He would make pray spontaneously without any push.

If he could not make pray with some reason, He would feel discomfort with missing it.

 

 

Habit can be developed negative side also.

If some heavy smoker could not making a smoke after meal, He would feel discomfort with missing it.

 

No matter it is positive or negative, If we have some behavior that have kept long,

It would be developed as habit.

 

So, It is important to make our resolution be kept till developed as habit.

If successes to make my resolution to be habit, We can try another resolution.

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#8 Finishing

 

I hope you to make your brilliant idea as habit.

And, these tips would be helpful to make it as habit.

 

Related Youtube Episode ▼ (made by Writer)