If you’re low on motivation you can get yourself motivated to do what you gotta do with these 5 reframing tools! Each are popular and effective NLP tools.
The other morning my two and half year old son Ari was not up for his morning bath!
“Let’s take a bath!” I said as enthusiastically as I could.
But my words just didn’t have enough “Wow! Yes! Let’s!” energy to motivate him!
So – what’s a motivational author mommy to do?
I recommend reframing your words as something more fun and positive!
“Let’s take a bubble bath with lots of bubbles!” I said – reframing the bath experience in a more positive light – and with a peppiness that got his attention.
Sure enough, Ari perked up!
Then I added: “Let’s go swimming in the tub – with lots of bubbles!”
Now …you might be wondering…
Do you see what I did in the above example?
I reframed the thing that I might presently be avoiding – by focusing on the positive results.
The result? I created a playful aspect of doing the habit.
No worries!
Refocus on the positive end benefits – and stop thinking about the pain and the struggle.
Imagine that an outcome you want is already true – and feel the joy of accomplishment in your body, mind, spirit.
When you pretend “as if” your desired goal is already happening and presently in reality …well, you then enter into a more open mindset to do the task at hand..
Feel the joy of the outcome throughout your mind, body, spirit. Then go do what you gotta do!
Often people procrastinate until it’s the last minute to do something.
Basically, when there’s a deadline you need to urgently meet, suddenly motivation magically increases.
Basically, with a Time Reframe you need to convince yourself you need to take action right away -within a certain amount of time – for a real reason.
Think about someone you think is pretty awesome – someone you respect a great deal. Try to view the action you don’t want to do from their perspective.
Stop taking what you have to do so seriously!
In this calmer and more fun state of mind you will be more open to do what you gotta do.
I shared this article on my FB page – and here are some awesome messages from my community on Facebook – with their awesome reframing ideas.
When my kids were little I realized they don’t want me to tell them they have to take a bath. So I got out a clip board and paper and went to each one and said I have an available bath appointment at 6:30 or 7 – when would you like your appointment? Each one would happily pick a time – and happily took their bath when the clock said it was their appointment time. They loved deciding when!
Re-framing is so helpful! Bedtime used to be a disaster because I went into thinking “Ugh this is gonna stink!” I changed it to “Yes! Lets get this party started! It’s my last 45 minutes with my boys before I say goodnight for 12 hours! (Okay, 10 hours if I am lucky.) Let’s make it a great 45 minutes!” Works like a charm.
Oh, one of my favorites for my kids was back when I had a lot of trouble with picky eater (boys). I started naming food items gross names, like, my son would look at the onions in something and ask if there were onions in the soup (duh, you know there are because you are picking one out). I responded, “nope, those are pieces of witch skin” or something. We ate troll brains and dried up boogers and fingernails and worms and monkey guts and all sorts of things–the grosser the name the better – esp if they were the ones coming up with them.
I call my kids chore chart a responsibility chart – makes it sound more like they’re being treated like big kids/young adults. The more freedoms they want, the more responsibilities they take on!
I work as a Residential Cleaner and I get psyched by thinking of ‘cleaning’ as a great cardiovascular workout, or weight training. I reframe the more tedious tasks by playing ‘beat the clock’.
I make happy faces with at least one meal a day. Today was mini bran muffin eyes, strawberry nose, with a bananas smile.
Nobody was amused to remove the snow with an ordinary snow shovel… Sitting in the kitchen I asked loud and clear: ” I wonder if it’s possible to blow the snow away with our electric blower…” Immediately two sons run outside to try and to find other male friendly solutions.
I went to physio today to make my knee better! And I’m washing the kitchen windows so I can see the birds on the bird table better!
Today, as I was writing Board Minutes in my lawyer job, when all I wanted to do was play with my makeup company makeup, write my website and decide on photos to make my website look pretty. I reframed it as: “I’m so lucky to have a career that pays for my baby, Iridis Cosmetics, and that the sooner I finish my lawyer job, the sooner I can play with makeup again!” Boy did that spur me on!!!! Reframing is SUCH a key to success!
While my three children were growing up I would always reframe “homework” as home studies, world exploration and life improvement!
Dishes in the sink? Be grateful you have running water and plates on which to put any food you want on. In every moment there’s something to be thankul for.
I used to have an awful time with my son – waking him up. Now I turn the TV up full blast so he hears his favorite show.
Yay, I am excited about getting a shiny new permanent tooth today for a great smile! (Trying not to think about the dentist drill.)
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