Use Pictures for Motivation

Use Pictures for Motivation 

We’ve done a lot of work putting our vision, purpose, and goals into words, but now it is time to transform the words into something more powerful—images. You are going to take the work you’ve done so far and create a picture scrapbook of your goals that will allow you to instantly reconnect with your goals.

Why pictures?

Our mind thinks and remembers in pictures. We remember faces but forget names. When we read a story, we create a visual image of the characters and the situation. The great communicators use language to create mental images. A picture can communicate much more quickly and efficiently than a word.

What is more effective, reading your goal about taking a trip to Fiji or looking at a picture of a Fijian beach with crystal clear water and palm trees? Which one gets you more excited? Which one will move you closer to accomplishing the goal? Which one will you remember longer?

So here’s the exercise:

For each of your goals, cut out two or three pictures that represent them. Take your time finding pictures that get your juices flowing. If one of your goals is to own a new Jaguar XJ8, buy a car magazine or visit your local dealership and pick up a brochure. If you are having trouble finding good pictures, the best place to find glossy pictures is in magazines, brochures, or on the Internet.

Remember, you’ve created goals not just for things you want own, but also for things you want to accomplish and the person you want to be.

While it is easier to find pictures representing tangible things you want to own, you can also locate pictures representing what you want to accomplish and who you want to be.

If you want to earn a Ph.D., cut out a picture of a diploma. If you want to learn how to play the piano, cut out a picture of a piano or of someone playing the piano. If you want to work fewer hours, take a picture of your office with a clock at 3:30PM with you noticeably absent. You can find a picture for almost anything you want to accomplish. For example, one of the things I want to accomplish is to go on an African Safari. There are a lot of places I could have gone to get pictures of Africa, but I chose to cut out pictures from a brochure created by Wilderness Travel—a company that offers guided adventures across the globe. These pictures provide images more specific to my actual goal motivate me more strongly.

You can even find pictures representing the person you want to be. Do you want to be a better parent? Cut out a picture of your kids on vacation or doing their homework. Do you want to be a better communicator? Cut out a picture of Ronald Reagan. Bottom line, no matter what your goal, you can find a picture to capture or express it.

Have fun with this exercise—get creative. 

While it might sound slightly silly—like making a collage in elementary school—using pictures will bring life to your goals by making them real.

Once you’ve cut out all of the pictures, it is time to create your Dream Board.

There are a couple of options. You can either create a portable goal collage by using a three-ring binder or a poster board that you hang on a wall.

If you choose the journal, create several sections—each one representing Life Zone. Within each section, write your IMPACT-Goals. You can tape the pictures next to each goal or you can have several pictures of goals on one page.

You could instead create a poster board with pictures representing all of your goals. There is nothing more powerful than looking a collection of pictures that represent your most important goals and life achievements. Take a few minutes every day to review the destination you have set for yourself, and then spend the rest of the time pursuing it with vigor.

The proceeding blog post is an excerpt from The Six-Day Financial Makeover: Transform Your Financial Life in Less Than a Week!, available now on Amazon.