We’re often told to think positive. Whether we want to lose weight…quit smoking…negotiate a raise or promotion…achieve great wealth…or get elected president, we’re assured that the key is to ignore self-doubt, banish pessimism and believe that we can do it.

But positive thinking leads to productive action only if we know how to handle it. If we don’t, pie-in-the-sky daydreams and unbridled optimism are more likely to lead to stagnancy than success. For example, a recent study found that people were less likely to make a substantial donation to a charity if they first fantasized that the problem the charity addresses had been solved. Indulging in the positive-thinking fantasy gave their minds the same positive feelings that they would have experienced if they actually had helped solve the problem, robbing them of the drive to take action.

Or consider the upcoming presidential election. Some of the candidates are relentlessly positive about what they could achieve if they are elected—an ­attitude that whips up crowds and attracts admirers. The problem: The more an incoming president displays positive thinking, the worse the country seems to do. A 2014 study published in Psychological Science examined inaugural addresses from 1933 to 2009 and found that the more idealistic a portrait a president paints, the higher the unemployment rate and the lower the gross domestic product during the ensuing four years. That may be because an overly idealistic president might be more likely to ignore the obstacles…downplay the necessary steps to achieve the economic goals…and pursue risky ventures.

So how do you employ positive thinking as a powerful force? The key is to use it as part of the following four-step strategy, which has been shown to actually increase our odds of taking productive action and achieving a goal…

Identify a goal. Choose something you would like to achieve, whether you call it a “goal” or a “wish.” This could be a short-term goal—something you could accomplish today—or a long-term goal that will take much longer. Your goal should be something that you believe you can realistically accomplish but that is somewhat challenging to you. Boil your goal down to a phrase of just three to six words. Examples: “Book a trip” or “Lose five pounds.”

Picture the best outcome. Now imagine what it would be like if your wish came true in the very best possible way. How would you feel? How would your life change?

Let yourself mentally experience this imagined outcome. Revel in it for a few minutes. This helps link the wish to pleasurable feelings in your mind—indulging in fantasies can feel wonderful. Your blood pressure actually might drop, enveloping you in a sense of calm and contentment.

Dreamers tend not to progress beyond this stage, but two crucial steps remain to maximize your odds of making your wish come true.

Picture your greatest internal obstacle. As soon as you stop fantasizing about the best possible outcome of your wish, ask yourself, What one thing in me is most holding me back from making this wish come true? 

The goal here is to uncover your main internal obstacle, not an external one. If you see an external force as your main hindrance, there’s a good chance that the problem will seem insurmountable. If you see something within yourself as the main problem, there’s a good chance you will be able to develop a solution.

Example: If your wish is to get a promotion at work, the first obstacle that comes to mind might be, My boss is a fool who does not appreciate me. This is not the obstacle you need to identify—a foolish boss is an external problem. Make this obstacle internal by rephrasing it as, I feel resentment toward my boss that makes it hard for me to earn his respect.

Your internal obstacle might be instantly obvious, or it might take time to figure out. If it proves elusive, seek it through quiet, private contemplation. Do not ask other people for their input—your odds of understanding and overcoming the obstacle are much higher if you discover it yourself. If you’re not certain whether you have identified the critical internal obstacle, you probably haven’t—there’s usually a “That’s it!” ­moment of revelation when you have discovered it.

Helpful: People often initially conclude that their main obstacle is, I don’t have time to pursue the goal. These people may want to dig deeper into why they can’t seem to find the time. For example, someone might realize that he/she cannot find time to pursue his wish because he devotes lots of time to helping other people pursue their wishes…and that he does this because he fears not being needed. That fear is a major obstacle. Someone else might realize that he is not finding time for a project because he is afraid of failing.

Boil your obstacle down to three to six words, then spend some time thinking about it. Picture how this obstacle stands in your way, stopping you from reaching your goal.

This reduces the odds that your mind will be satisfied with mere fantasy and helps you do what it takes to make the wish a reality.

Once you have identified and pictured your obstacle, you might realize that you need to modify or even switch your goal because the obstacle is so formidable that you can’t overcome it—or the goal is just not worth pursuing.

Example: Your wish is to get up each morning and exercise. Your obstacle is that you feel distracted by everything you have to do during the day. Perhaps it makes sense to change your initial wish to ­“exercise in the evenings.”

Develop a plan to overcome your obstacle. This plan should fit a simple if/then format—If [obstacle X occurs], then I will [take action Y].

Example: If I feel insecure when someone questions my proposal, then I will remind myself that I am just as knowledgeable on this topic as anyone. 

Developing a plan in advance to overcome your internal obstacle will not just help you overcome this obstacle…it may improve your odds of overcoming any obstacle that appears. The process of obstacle identification and if/then planning described above trains the mind to look for and get past obstacles, rather than get stopped by them on a nonconscious level.

Helpful: Find a quiet moment each day to identify your goal, your best outcome, your central internal obstacle and your if/then plan. By practicing this procedure every day, you will be much more successful in understanding your wishes and attaining your goals.

 

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