By using evidence based and proven methods for change you raise the success rate. Here are two good tools!
As a bonus i will reveal my five steps to success for free
Always use mental tools
A change comes from within so mental tools are crucial, WOOP being one of the easier to apply. Appreciative inquiry is also a strong way to reach success. I mix both of them to boost the effect, you could say by cherry picking and letting them complete each other.
What is WOOP?
It is an abbreviation of Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. It is an outcome of research in the motivational field, read more about it on https://woopmylife.org/en/science
Basically you can say that you look at what you want to achieve and by using plans for the obstacles you could bump into during a change you can reach your preferred outcome.
What is Appreciative Inquiry?
In short this is a way of seeing changes from another perspective. Instead of looking at which problems to solve, you look at which strengths to use to reach the goals, read more about it on https://appreciativeinquiry.champlain.edu/
You use something called 4D, abbreviation for Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver. With these four areas you look at your strengths, you look at your ideal goal, make a plan with SMART goals and deliver according to the plan by making use of your strengths.
Cherry-picking from both methods for success boost
I think that where WOOP is not strong enough, Appreciative inquiry can be used to fill the gap and vice versa.
Five steps of WOOP/Appreciative Inquiry that you can use in your change, this is something I recommend for my clients:
- Document your strengths
I am sure you have them, hide any humble attitude for now and write them down
For reference this is Discover in Appreciative Inquiry. - Travel into the future and answer two questions
Answer the questions “How do I feel?” and “What do I look like?” and be creative.
For reference Dream in Appreciative Inquiry and Wish & Outcome in WOOP. - Get concrete
Create a plan with SMART goals to get to the state you described in previous step.
In the plan, add a list obstacles you might bump into
For reference this is Design in Appreciative Inquiry and Obstacle in WOOP - Prepare for difficulties
Take the list of obstacles from previous step and write down an “if-then-plan” with an action you can take to overcome the difficulty.
For reference this is Obstacle and Plan in WOOP - Do it
For a change to be successful you need to embed it in your life as routines and habits
This is where you use the 4 first steps and work with your change, I recommend that you revisit the steps now and then to adjust down the line.
For reference this is Deliver in Appreciative Inquiry
And always do a change together with others, it is more fun and something that is fun is easier to succeed with!
