13 Motivation TechniquesHeres a summary of the techniques: How can you train yourself to stop procrastinating and start taking action?

Step 1 Create the Anti-procrastination Sheet.According to Burns, to create the Anti-procrastination sheet:1. Draw five lines down a piece of paper. This will divide the sheet into 6 columns.2. Label the columns: Date, Activity, Predicted Difficulty (0-100%), Predicted Satisfaction (0-100%), Actual Difficulty (0-100%), Actual Satisfaction (0-100%) See the example below.Step 2 List your tasks.According to Burns, in the Activity column, break the activity down into small steps (chunk it up.)Step 3 List your predicted difficulty and predicted satisfaction.According to Burns, write your predictions down using a 0- to- 100 percent scale, how difficult and rewarding each step would be.Step 4 List your actual difficulty and actual satisfaction.According to Burns, after completing each step, write down how difficult and rewarding it actually was. Antiprocrastination Sheet This technique helps improve your negative assumptions. To use it, you list the tasks you need to perform. You predict the difficulty and your satisfaction on a scale of 100. After you perform the tasks, you write down your actual difficulty and your actual satisfaction. SeeAntiprocrastination Sheet.Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in. Andrew Jackson Example Anti-procrastination SheetBurns includes an example of an Anti-procrastination Sheet:DateStepsPredicted Difficulty(0-100%)Predicted Satisfaction(0-100%)Actual Difficulty(0-100%)Actual Satisfaction(0-100%)

6/10/991. Outline letter.90101060

-2. Write rough draft90101075

-3. Type up final draft.7510580

-4. Address the envelope and mail the letter.505095

Butt-Rebuttal Method This technique is a way to deal with excuses you make where you talk yourself out of things. For example, you could work out today But. To use it, you write down the tasks you want to do. You then write down your but excuses. Next, you write a rebuttal for each excuse. This works because youre giving yourself a response to your excuses, rather than having to deal with them on the fly. Its also a way to remind yourself of why you are doing what youre doing. SeeBut-Rebuttal Method. "Every vice has its excuse ready." Publilius SyrusStep 1. Create the But-Rebuttal table.According to Burns, to create your But-Rebuttal table:1. Draw a line down a sheet of paper to create two columns.2. Label the columns: "But Column", "But Rebuttal"Step 2. Write down your but statement.According to Burns, write down your but statement for a task you need to do, but are find yourself coming up with objections.Step 2. Write down your but rebuttal.According to Burns, write down a but rebuttal. For example, Ill feel more like it once I get started. or When Im done, Ill feel terrific.Step 3. Continue this process until youve run out of excuses.According to Burns, after your but rebuttal, you will likely think of another objection. Write that objection down, then fight back with a new rebuttal.Example But-Rebuttal MethodBurns includes an example of using the But-Rebuttal Method:But ColumnBut Rebuttal

I really should mow the lawn, but Im just not in the mood.Ill feel more like it once I get started. When Im done, Ill feel terrific.

But now its so long, it would take forever.It wont take that much extra time with the power mower. I can always do a part of it now.

But Im too tired.So just do some of it and rest.

Id rather rest now or watch TV.I can, but I wont feel very good about it knowing this chore is hanging over my head.

But Im just too lazy to do it today.That cant be true Ive done it on numerous occasions in the past.

In this scenario, its Saturday, and youve scheduled mowing the lawn. Youve procrastinated for three weeks, and it looks like a jungle. You tell yourself, "I really should, BUT Im just on in the mood." Record this in the But column. Next you fight back by writing a rebuttal. You continue to write each next but statement and rebuttal until you run out of but statements.

Cant Lose System This technique is a way to combat your fear of failure. It works by listing your fears, exposing distorted thinking, and identifying ways to cope. To use it, first, list your worst case fears. Next, rationalize your list. Finally, identify coping strategies and fallback plans. By thinking on paper, you can be more objective about your fears as well as more creative in terms of finding potential solutions. SeeCant Lose System. List your worst case fears. Start by listing your worst case fears. This gets them out of your head and down on to paper where you can analyze them. Rationalize your list. Look at the list objectively and identify how realistic they really area or how you might be blowing some things out of proportion. Identify coping strategies. Figure out some fallback strategies and coping mechanisms.This technique strikes me as a great way to put things in perspective. Im a fan of thinking on paper. I think that organizing your thoughts goes a long way for dealing with fears and coming up with rationale solutions.Make a List of What Would Happen If You FailedBurns writes that you should write your list of worst case fears and address them:You may feel hesitant to put your cant's to the test because you dont want to run the risk of failure. If you dont run any risks, at least you can maintain the secret belief that youre basically a terrific person whos decided for the time being not to get involved. Behind your aloofness and lack of commitment lurks a powerful sense of inadequacy and the fear of failure. The Cant Lose System will help you combat this fear. Make a list of the negative consequences you might have to deal with if you took a risk and actually did fail. Then expose the distortions in your fears, and show how you could cope productively even if you did experience a disappointment.

Example Cant Lose SystemBurns provides an example using the Cant Lose System when going for a job:Negative Consequences of Being Turned Down for a JobPositive Thoughts and Coping Strategies

1. This means Ill never get a job.Overgeneralization. This is unlikely. I can test this by applying for series of other jobs and putting my best foot forward to see what happens.

2. My husband will look down on me.Fortune teller error. Ask him. Maybe he will be sympathetic.

3. But what if hes not sympathetic? He might say this shows I belong in the kitchen and dont have what it takes.Point out to him Im doing my best and his rejecting attitude doesnt help. Tell him that I am disappointed, but that I credit myself for trying.

4. But were nearly broke. We need the money.Weve survived so far and havent missed a single meal.

5. If I dont get a job, I wont be able to afford some decent new school clothes for the kids. Theyll look scraggly.I can get some clothes later on. Well have to learn to get along with what we have for a while. Happiness doesnt come from clothes, but from our self-respect.

6. A lot of my friends have jobs. Theyll see I cant cut the mustard in the business world.Theyre not all employed and even my friends do have jobs can probably remember a time when they were out of work. They havent done anything so far to indicate they look down on me.

Count What Counts This technique is a way to improve your self-confidence and remind yourself of the positive actions you take each day. To use it, you simply either use a wristwatch counter and click each time you take a positive action, or you use a notebook and write it down. As simple as this technique is, its produced profound results time and again. What it does it retrain your brain to pay attention to the positive actions you take each day, which are easy to miss if youre not counting them. This gives you a more balanced view and helps build confidence in your ability to perform actions. SeeCount What Counts.

You get what you measure. Measuring can be as simple as using a wrist counter and clicking each time you do a behavior you want to reinforce.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns shares an example of how one of his patients gained self-confidence using this very technique.Key Take AwaysHeres my key take aways: Count what counts. Step one is to decide to count your positive actions. Its easy for your positive actions to go unnoticed. It really depends on what you focus your mind on. Log your positive actions. By counting your positive actions either by writing them down or using a simple write counter, you train your brain to notice and value your positive actions.I think the beauty of this technique is the simplicity. I think it works simply because your paying attention. It can be so easy to focus on the negative or ignore the good. In this case, youre deliberately paying attention to your good behavior, and youre making it count. Its yet another way of getting what you focus on.Count Your Positive ActionsBurns writes about how simply counting the positive actions each day increased self-confidence:The solution turned out to be simpler than he anticipated. I suggested he obtain a wrist counter, so that each day he could count the things he did on his own without prodding or encouragement from anyone. At the end of the day, he was to write down the total number of clicks he scored and keep a daily log.Over a several week period, he began to notice that his daily score increased. Every time that he clicked the counter, he reminded himself that he was in control of his life, and in this way, he trained himself to notice what he did do. Stevie began to feel increased self-confidence, and to view himself as a more capable being.

Daily Activity Schedule This technique is for breaking out of a lethargy cycle and to get motivated again for basic activity. To use it, you list the activities you plan to get done for the day. Identify whether each activity is for mastery or for pleasure. After your activities, rate them as from 0 5, where 0 is low and 5 is high. This technique helps you find the joy in things you do, and refocuses you on simple pleasures and simple mastery. SeeDaily Activity Schedule."If it werent for the last minute, I wouldnt get anything done." AuthorHow do you stop procrastinating and take action? There is a simple but effective technique to help you defeat procrastination and start taking action. Its aDaily Activity Schedule. By scheduling your day and comparing results, you become aware of how you spend your time. This helps you take charge of your life.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns introduces the Daily Activity Schedule technique. Burns notes that this technique is particularly helpful for dealing with weekend and holiday blues.Why Does the Daily Activity Schedule WorkAccording to Burns, the Daily Activity Schedule works for the following reasons:1. It undercuts our tendency to obsess about the value of various activities and to debate counterproductively about whether or not to do something.2. Accomplishing even part of your schedule will in all probability give you some satisfaction.3. You can develop a balanced program that provides pleasurable leisure activities as well as work. If you feel blue, add more fun in your schedule.Summary of StepsAccording to Burns, the key steps for using a Daily Activity Schedule include: Step 1 Create the Daily Activity Schedule table. Step 2 Fill out the Prospective column.. Step 3 Fill out the Retrospective column.Step 1 Create the Daily Activity Schedule table.According to Burns, you can create the table for the Daily Activity Schedule with the following steps:1. Draw two lines down the center of a piece of paper to divide it into thirds.2. Label the left-hand column Time.3. Label the middle column Prospective4. Label the right-hand column RetrospectiveStep 2 Fill out the Prospective column.According to Burns, in this step, you list your activities. In the prospective column, write out an hour-by-hour plan for what you would like to accomplish. Your plans dont need to be elaborate. Just put one to two words in each time slot to indicate what youd like to do, such as dress, each lunch, prepare resume etc. It should not take more than five minutes to do this.Step 3 Fill out the Retrospective column.According to Burns, in this step, you compare your results. At the end of the day, fill out the retrospective column.1. Write down your actual activities. Record in each time slot, what you actually did during the day. This may be the same as or different from what you actually planned: nevertheless, even if it was just starting at the wall, write it down.2. Label each activity with an M for Mastery or a P for Pleasure. Mastery activities are those which represent some accomplishment, such as brushing your teeth, cooking dinner, driving to work, etc. Pleasure might include reading a book, eating, going to a movie etc.3. Rate each activity with a 0 to 5 rating. For the Mastery activities, estimate the degree of difficulty in performing the task. 0 is easy where 5 is very challenging. For example, you could give yourself an M-1 for an easy task like getting dressed, while M-4 or M-5 would indicate you did something more challenging, such as not eating too much or applying for a job. Estimate the actual pleasure or the degree of difficulty of a task. For the Pleasure activities, 0 is no pleasure while 5 is very pleasurable.

Disarming Technique This technique is for helping you respond to pushy, critics with advice. Although the critics may have good advice, when its pushy, its easy for you to push back and cut off your nose to spite your face. Instead, to use this technique, you disarm the critic by agreeing with them, but then you own the decision. If your critic cares about your well being, this ends up being a win win. SeeDisarming Technique.Are people giving you a bunch of great advice, but you dont like getting pushed around? You can use the disarming technique. To use the disarming technique, you take the wind out of your nagging critics sails by agreeing with your critic, but making it your own decision, not theirs.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes how to use the disarming technique.Key TakeawaysHeres my key take aways: Pushy approaches dont work. I dont think anybody likes to be told what to do. At the same time, lifes full of unsolicited advice from family, friends, teachers, colleagues, bosses, you name it. Disarm the attack by taking ownership of the decisions. In cases where the advice is sound, but you dont like their approach and you dont want to give up your power to make your own decisions, the key is take ownership for your decisions. Its ultimately a win-win because., if they really had your best intentions at heart, then theyre happy to see the results. Youre happy because its your decision and you made it cleat that nobody is pushing you around.Pushy Approaches Dont WorkBurns shares why pushy approaches dont work:Your sense of paralysis will be intensified if your family and friends are in the habit of pushing and cajoling you. This nagging should statements reinforce the insulting thoughts already echoing through your head. Why is their pushy approach doomed to failure? Its a basic law of physics that for every action theres an equal and opposite reaction. Any time you feel shoved, whether by someones hand actually on your chest or by someone trying to boss you around, you will naturally tighten up your chest and resist so as to maintain your equilibrium and balance. You will attempt to exert your self-control and preserve your dignity by refusing to do the thing that you are being pushed to do. The paradox is that you often end up hurting yourself. Example Scenario for the Disarming TechniqueBurns writes about Mary, a woman in her late teens, who avoid doing things because it would mean giving in to her mother: Supposed you are Mary, and after thinking things over you decide you would be better off if you got involved in doing a number of things. Youve just made this decision when your mother comes into your bedroom and announces, Dont you lie around any longer! Your life is going down the drain. Get moving! Get involved in the things the way the other girls your age do! At that moment, in spite of the fact that you have already decided to do just that, you develop a tremendous aversion to it! Using the Disarming TechniqueBurns shows how to disarm the attack and avoid cutting off your nose to spite your face: The disarming technique is an assertive method that will solve this problem for you. The essence of the disarming technique is to agree with your mother, but to do so in a way that you remind her you are agreeing with her based on your own decision, and not because she was telling you what to do. So you might answer this way: Yes, Mom, I just thought the situation over myself and decided it would be to my advantage to get moving on things. Because of my own decision, Im going to do it. Now you can start doing things and not feel bad. Or if you wish to put more of a barb in your comments, you can always say, Yes, Mom, I have in fact decided to get out of bed in spite of the fact youve been telling me to! Little Steps for Little Feet This technique is about dealing with overwhelming tasks or an overwhelming backlog. To use it, you breakdown your tasks. Think of them as little hurdles. You divide a task into manageable units using time limitations. For example, you might break it up into 20 minutes tasks or 30 minute tasks. By breaking your tasks down and using timeboxes, it helps you take little steps to get major things done incrementally, rather than get overwhelmed up front. SeeLittle Steps for Little Feet.Do you overwhelm yourself with all the things you have to do? You can use a technique called Little Steps for Little Feet.Basically, you chunk up your work into little steps to make each step easier. Its a simple method to take action by breaking any proposed task down into its tiny component parts.You then combine your steps with timeboxing to improve your productivity and mood.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes about a technique called Little Steps for Little Feet.TimeboxingBurns writes about using time limitations to help improve productivity and your mood:"Do you tend to bite off bigger pieces than you can comfortably chew? Dare to put modest time limits on what you do! Have the courage to walk away from an unfinished task! You may be amazed that you will experience a substantial increase in your productivity and mood, and your procrastination may become a thing of the past."An extremely effective way to divide a task into manageable units is through time limitation. Decide how much time you will devote to a particular task, and then stop at the end of the allotted time, and go on to something more enjoyable, whether or not youre finished.My Key TakeawaysHere are my key take aways: Break down your tasks. One point is about breaking a task down. Chunking up problems is a great way to avoid an all-or-nothing approach, as well as to simplify a complex or overwhelming task. Timebox your effort. Give yourself a time limit for producing results. Timeboxing has multiple benefits. Its a great way to force prioritization. Because its a limited box of time, it also forces you to be more thoughtful about what you choose to bite off. If you have a large pool of tasks, using timeboxes to chunk up the work is an effective way to make incremental progress.Im a fan of both chunking things down and using timeboxes to help avoid getting overwhelmed. Simply improving the feeling of momentum, helps keep motivation going and sustain results. Motivation Without Coercion This technique is about eliminating your musts, shoulds, and oughts. Musts, shoulds, and oughts can drain you. Instead, reframe your tasks as wants. The idea is to create a reward system instead of using a whip against yourself. SeeMotivation Without Coercion.One of the ways to drain your motivation is to use a lot of musts, should, and oughts when youre thinking about your tasks. A more effective approach is to remind yourself of what you want to do it and why you want to do it.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes about motivation without coercion.Key Take AwaysHeres my key take aways: Translate shoulds into wants. Use wants over shoulds. Expressing wants creates freedom. Turning shoulds into wants produces a feeling of freedom of choice and personal dignity. The carrot works better than the stick in the long run. A reward system works better and lasts longer than a whip. Frame it as positive action towards your goals. Look at things in terms of what do I want to do? What course of action would be to my best advantage?Reframing using wants over shoulds is way more effective and inspiring. I do use a simple list of 3 musts to guide my day, but I havent found it to be a problem. If I had laundry lists of actions then I could see how that too would be a problem, but since I limit my self to 3 items, it helps me prioritize and keep momentum.Want To Over Must, Should, Or CouldDavid Burns writes about turning rules around musts, shoulds, and coulds into wants to get and stay motivated:A possible source of your procrastination is an inappropriate system for self-motivation. You may inadvertently undermine what you attempt by flagellating yourself with so many oughts, shoulds, and musts that you end up drained of any desire to get moving. You are defeating yourself by the way you kill yourself to get moving! Dr. Albert Ellis describes this mental trap as musterbation.Reformulate the way you tell yourself to do things by eliminating these coercive words from your vocabulary. An alternative to pushing yourself to get up in the morning would be to say, it will make me feel better to get out of bed, even though it will be hard at first. Although Im not obliged to, I might end up being glad I did. If, on the other hand, Im really benefiting from the rest and relaxation, I may as well go ahead and enjoy it!

Using Rules for ResultsOne of the keys to improving in an area of life is to raise your standards or rules in terms of musts, shoulds, or coulds. For example, getting in shape means changing from a loose set of rules around eating and exercising that arent working, to a more precise set of shoulds or musts. The more dramatic the results you need, the more rules you follow.I find this a very interesting point because it walks an interesting line. I can easily see how its less inspiring to drive yourself with a bunch of rules. Its one thing to be disciplined, but its another to have desire. I can see how you can rob your internal desire, in the name of discipline, if everything you internally see everything you do as a should or a must.Using Wants for Feeling GoodFrom a results standpoint, improving in an area usually means turning shoulds and coulds into musts to get the results you need. From a feeling good standpoint, the key is to remind yourself that you want to take these actions because you want the results. I think the key here is to use a two part process of first mapping out your rules for results, then reframing them as wants over rules.I think this has two benefits. One benefit is that you keep your feeling of freedom of choice. The second benefit is that if you fall off your horse, rather than an all-or-nothing mentality or guilt for breaking your rules, you get back on your horse.

Pleasure Predicting Sheet This technique is for helping you find out what activities you really enjoy and how much you enjoy them. To use it, you write down your list of activities you will do for pleasure. You predict your satisfaction on a 100 point scale. After the activity, you record your actual satisfaction. SeePleasure-Predicting Sheet. Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion. HebbelYou can find your passion and figure out what you truly enjoy doing by using aPleasure-Predicting Sheet. Can you really predict just how much youll enjoy something or not? The Pleasure-Predicting Sheet is a technique you use to record your estimated expected pleasure against your actual pleasure. You schedule a set of activities that contain a potential for personal growth or satisfaction. You do some of them by yourself and some with others. You predict your pleasure before the activities, and then record the actual results, after the events.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes about a technique for testing your belief that there is no point in doing anything. Its a Pleasure-Predicting Sheet.OverviewHere are are the keys to the Pleasure-Predicting Sheet: Identify the activities to do for pleasure. This is where you simply identify what youll be doing for pleasure. Predict your satisfaction. The key so the process is predicting what will bring you the most pleasure. Evaluate your actual satisfaction. When you assess your actual satisfaction, you get feedback on how well youre predicting what will make you happy or bring you pleasure.What I like most about this technique is its test-driven. By recording your expected pleasure against your results, you get a quick reality check of potentially self-limiting behavior or thoughts. Its one thing to think you will or wont enjoy something. Its another to take action and measure the results. Maybe some of the things you think "should" bring you pleasure, actually dont. On the other hand, maybe some of the things you think you wont enjoy as much, bring you more satisfaction than you expected.Step 1. Create the Pleasure Predicting Sheet.According to Burns, to create the Pleasure Predicting Sheet:1. Draw four lines down the center of a piece of paper to divide it into five columns.2. Label the columns: Data, Activity for Satisfaction, Who You Did This With, Predicted Satisfaction (0-100%), Actual Satisfaction(0-100%)Step 2. Write down your pleasure activities.According to Burns, write down the activities, the date, and who you will do them with. If alone, then specify self.Step 3. Predict your satisfaction.According to Burns, write down your prediction of how much satisfaction youll get on a scale from 0 to 100%.Step 4. Record your actual satisfaction.According to Burns, after you perform the activities, write down your actual satisfaction.

Example Pleasure-Predicting SheetBurns include an example Pleasure-Predicting Sheet:DateActivity for SatisfactionWho You Did This WithPredicted Satisfaction(0-100%)Actual Satisfaction(0-100%)

8/2/99Reading (1 hour)self50%60%

8/3/99Dinner + bar w/BenBen80%90%

8/4/99Susans partyself80%85%

8/5/99N.Y.C. and Aunt Helenparents and grandma40%30%

8/5/99Nancys HouseNancy and Joelle75%65%

8/6/99Dinner at Nancys12 people60%80%

9/6/99Lucys partyLucy + 5 people70%70%

8/7/99Joggingself60%90%

8/8/99TheaterLuci80%70%

8/9/99HarrysHarry, Jack, Ben and Jim60%85%

8/10/99Joggingself70%80%

8/10/99Phillies game.Dad50%70%

8/11/99Dinner.Susan and Ben70%70%

8/12/99Art museumself60%70%

8/12/99PeabodysFred80%85%

8/13/99Joggingself70%80%

Self-Endorsement Many people beat themselves up. This technique is about helping you endorse yourself. To use this technique, you list your self-downing statements. Next to each statement, you write your self-endorsing statements. Dont dismiss your accomplishments. Focus on your accomplishments. This teaches you how to lift yourself up over time. SeeSelf-Endorsement.

Do you frequently convince yourself that what you do doesnt count? If you spend more time worrying about what you didnt get done or if you dont value your results, then you need to learn to endorse yourself. Its very easy to fall into a habit of beating yourself up. The key is to learn how to lift yourself up.When folks on my team start to feel down on themselves, I tell them to stop focusing on the results and start focusing on their activity.By paying attention to their actions, they feel better about progress, until they are closer to producing results again. A variation off this is to have them focus on their learning and growth. Ill summarize it by saying, count what counts. This helps get over some of the hurdles of some projects that have some slow progress.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns shares an approach for improving your self-endorsement.Key Take AwaysHere are my key take aways: Dont dismiss your accomplishments. Dont convince yourself that what you do doesnt count.. Focus on your accomplishments. Focus on what youve got done over what you havent gotten to Learn to be self-endorsing.Talk back to your negative , self-defeating thoughts.Dont Convince Yourself That What You Do Doesnt countBurns says that you have to believe that what you do counts, otherwise it turns into a self-defeating habit:If you have this bad habit, you will naturally feel that you never do anything worthwhile. It wont make any difference if youre a Nobel laureate or a gardener life will seam empty because your sour attitude will take the joy out of all your endeavors and defeat you before you even begin. No wonder you feel unmotivated! Focus on What Youve Done Over What You Havent Gotten ToBurns says that you should focus on your accomplishments over focusing on your backlog:Another simple technique is to make a written or mental list of the things you do each day. Then give yourself a mental credit for each of them, however small. This will help you focus on what you have done instead of what you havent gotten around to doing. It sounds simplistic, but it works. Self-EndorsementBurns suggests a two step process for reversing the destructive tendency and for improving your self-endorsement.1. Identify the self-downing thoughts that cause you to feel this way in the first place.2. Talk back to these thoughts and replace them with ones that are more objective and self-endorsing.

Example Self-EndorsementBurns includes an example of self-endorsement:Self-downing StatementSelf-endorsing Statement

Anybody could wash these dishes.If its a routine, boring job, I deserve extra credit for doing it.

There was no point in washing these dishes. Theyll just get dirty again.Thats just the point. Theyll be clean when we need them.

I could have done a better job straightening up.Nothing in the Universe is perect, but I did make the room look a hell of a lot better.

It was just luck the way my speech turned out.It wasnt a matter of luck. I prepared well and delivered my talk effectively. I did a darn good job.

I waxed the car, but it still doesnt look as good as my neighbors new car.The car looks a hell of a lot better than it did. Ill enjoy driving it around.

Test Your Cants This technique is a about testing your negative assumptions. Its easy to fall into a pattern of thinking you cant do this or you cant do that. This technique helps you prove it. to use it, break down your assumptions into small hurdles. Take action and test against each one, proving yourself right or wrong. SeeTest Your Cants.

Test your cants. I think the name says it all. Test what you think you cant do, rather than just think you cant do it. This technique is about putting your negative thoughts to the test.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes about testing your cants.Key Take AwaysHeres my key take aways: Test your cants. Rather than just think you cant do something, prove it. Test one step a time. Rather than test the big picture, break it down into small hurdles and test one part at a time.I like this technique! Rather than just think you cant do something, try and prove it. Test yourself and you may be pleasantly surprised.Test One Step at a TimeRather than bite off the whole enchilada, Burns writes that you should build incremental success:An extremely successful cognitive technique involves testing your negative predictions with actual experiments. Suppose for example, youve been telling yourself: Im so upset that I cant concentrate well enough to read anything at all. As a way of testing this hypothesis, sit down with todays newspaper and read one sentence, and then see if you can summarize the sentence out loud. You might then predict But I could never read and understand a whole paragraph. Again put this to the test. Read a paragraph and summarize. Many sever, chronic depressions have been cracked open with this powerful method.

TIC-TOC Technique This technique is for getting past negative thoughts that block you from taking action. To use it, you first write down the negative thoughts that get in the way of your tasks. Next rationalize each item objectively. Be sure to check for potential negative motivation patterns or distorted thinking patterns. Lastly, write your rebuttal next to each negative thought. SeeTIC-TOC Technique. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. AnonymousHow do you improve your motivation? How do you get over procrastination, when your own thoughts get in your way? You can use the TIC-TOC Technique. The TIC-TOC Technique replaces your Task-Interfering Cognitions with Task-Oriented Cognitions.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns shows how to use the TIC-TOC Technique to help motivate yourself.OverviewHere are the keys to the Tic-Toc Technique: List your negative thoughts. List your negative thoughts that get in the way of you taking action. List your objective or positive thoughts. List the thoughts that can help you either defeat the negative thoughts or provide a positive action. Rationalize the results. Use the table to rationalize your negative thoughts and replace them with positive actions.I think this is an effective technique, especially if you have a pattern of automatic thoughts that work against you. This is forcing you to think about your thoughts and put them in perspective. While it takes a little bit of work at first, its not long before you can quickly improve your thought patterns to be more supportive and improve your motivationSummary of StepsBurns identifies the following steps: Step 1. Create the TIC-TOC table. Step 2. Record the thoughts that inhibit motivation. Step 3. Substitute more productive attitudes.Step 1 Create the TIC-TOC table.To create the table for the TIC-TOC table:1. Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper to divide it in half.2. Label the left-hand column TICs (Task-Interfering Cognitions)3. Label the right-hand column TOCs(Task-Oriented Cognitions)Step 2. Record the thoughts that inhibit motivation.In the left-hand column, TICs, record the thoughts that inhibit your motivation for a specific task.Step 3. Substitute more productive attitudes.In the right-hand column, TOCs, identify the cognitive distortion and substitute more objective, productive attitudes.Example TIC-TOC TechniqueBurns includes an example of the TIC-TOC Technique:TICs (Task-Interfering Cognitions)TOCs (Task-Oriented Cognitions)

Housewife: Ill never be able to get the garage cleaned out. The junks been piling up for years.Overgeneralization;all-or-nothing thinking. Just do a little bit and get started. Theres no reason why I have to do it all today.

Bank Clerk: My work isnt very important or exciting.Disqualifying the positive. It may seem routine to me, but its quite important to the people who use the bank. When Im not depressed, it can be very enjoyable. Many people do routine work, but this doesnt make them unimportant human beings. Maybe I could do something more exciting in my free time.

Student: Writing this term paper is pointless. The subject is boring.All-or-nothing thinking. Just do a routine job. It doesnt have to be a masterpiece. I might learn something, and it will make me feel better to get it done.

Visualize Success This technique is about visualizing the prize. Rather than motivate yourself with a stick, the idea is to create a big, fat carrot. To use this, get a good picture of the end in mind. Next, list the benefits of taking actions towards this outcome. Lastly, repeat the benefits so that you can easily recall them. SeeVisualize Success.

"There is no fate ,but what we create." Sarah Coonor

One of the most effective ways to motivate yourself is to get a good image of the end in mind. It should feel like a prize. What doesnt work well is beating yourself up. You might get results in the short term with a stick, buta fat, fresh carrot works better in the long run.InFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes about how to visualize your success. I like the fact that Burns is shares a technique hes successfully used on himself and with many of his patients. I know that mental conditioning isa common practice among athletes and peak performers. Im also a believer that if you can see something in your minds eye, you have a better chance of achieving it. If you cant visualize success, then chances are you wont achieve it (a self-fulfilling prophecy.)Key Take AwaysHere are my key take aways: Dont beat yourself up. Clubbing yourself over the head isnt effective in the long run. Visualize the prize. Get a good picture of the end in mind. This is what you want to use for your inspiration. List the benefits. Identify the positive results youll accomplish if you take the actions. Repeat the benefits. Repeatedly going through your list of benefits will help remind and encourage you of your desired results.How to Visualize SuccessBurns shares a three step method for visualizing success that actually does work. To visualize success effectively, take the following actions: Step 1. List the advantages of taking the positive action. Step 2. Fantasize you are in your favorite spot. Step 3. Go through your list of benefits.Step 1. List the advantages of taking the positive action.Burns writes that you should prepare a list of all the positive consequences that you would enjoy if you take the action. Write down as many as you can and prioritize them. List the most important first.Step 2. Fantasize you are in your favorite spot.According to Burns, each night, before sleep, fantasize that youre in your favorite spot. This could be walking on a mountain trail, lying on a beach etc. Focus on every enjoyable detail and let your body go.Step 3. Go through your list of benefits.Burns writes that once your body is relaxed, go through your list of benefits one by one. State each benefit as if you already have it. For example, you might say, "Now that I have greater self-discipline, I can take on other challenges."Dont Beat Yourself UpBeating yourself up isnt effective:Burns writes:"Suppose for example, you want to quit smoking. You may be reminding yourself about cancer and all the dangers of smoking. These fear tactics make you so nervous that you immediately reach for another cigarette; they dont work. "