Mental Contrasting – Effectiveness, Uses, and Precautions

http://happierhuman.com/mental-contrasting/
Mental Contrasting – Effectiveness, Uses, and Precautions

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Mental contrasting helps your subconscious understand. It ties together the promise of future reward with obstacles which must be overcome in the present (e.g. do x,y, and z,, and you will receive your reward). You, the conscious, already understands. Your subconscious speaks in images, which is why your thoughts of grandeur and accomplishment fail to help it understand. But visualization in the form of mental contrasting? That works.gi

Instructions

1a) Write down or think about several positive aspects associated with completing your goal. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, those positive aspects could be: looking good, living longer, spending less on healthcare, feeling more lively, being able to stay active, getting your spouse to stop nagging you, etc…

1b) Hone in the most positive aspects. This could be one especially large benefit, or a few smaller ones. Then take a few moments to visualize those benefits. The longer and the more detail, the better.

2a) Write down or think about several obstacles in the way of you completing your goal. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, those obstacles could be: being tempted by snacks, purchasing unhealthy food while shopping, eating too much at dinner, emotional binging, lack of motivation to exercise, etc…

2b) Hone in the largest obstacles. This could be one especially large obstacle, or a few smaller ones. Then take a few moments to visualize those obstacles. The longer and the more detail, the better.

That’s it