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For some people, my last post Suffer More to Change Faster might be a little bit of a downer. After all, suffering is pretty unpleasant, even if it leads to a good place in the end. Fortunately, suffering isn’t the only emotion that can inspire rapid change.

Excitement is the B-side of Suffering. When you are suffering, things are so bad that you just have to change. When you are excited, the future holds so many possibilities that you can’t help but change to make those real.

Comfort is Still the Enemy
No matter how you look at it, nobody wants to change when they are curled up at home in their snuggly pajamas with a cup of hot chocolate! When you are excited, you may not be unhappy, but you are certainly “wound up” and ready for action. That is very different from the type of contentment that a cat napping in a sunbeam feels. Just give a cat a little catnip to see a good visual representation of true excitement.

To change, you have to want things to be different than they are right now. That desire can come from a negative place, but it can also come from a very positive place. For example, I recently read the 4-Hour Workweek and was super inspired by the premise of the book. (In case you’ve been living under a cyber-rock, the book is about freeing yourself from the 9-5 grind through automatic wealth generation, among other things.) Now I’m exploring several ways of going about this very process because I want a radically different lifestyle than the one I am currently living. That comes out of a positive place, but it’s still based in a certain amount of dissatisfaction of my current life.

Create Excitement to Create Change
There are many times that we experience an initial rush of excitement, only to have it fade away. Then we get comfortable again and continue on the same path that we want to change. To me it seems absolutely essential to maintain and even grow excitement over time to use it successful as a change tool. Here are a few techniques that I have found effective in keeping my excitement high.

1. Use Visualization. Imagine the future that you want, as far out in time as you want to take it. Really focus and imagine as many details as possible. If you’d like create a backward storyline that follows the steps you took to get to that future. Repeat your visualization first thing in the morning, or whenever you need a motivational boost.
2. Read and Listen to Motivational Materials. I listen to a lot of podcasts and internet radio that I find motivational or inspirational in some way. Other people gain motivation by reading the stories of people who have accomplished amazing things. Still others watch movies that get their blood pumping. (Fight Club seems to be popular for this :shrug:)
3. Go to a Concert or Sporting Event. Sounds silly, but it works for me. If I’m feeling pretty blah about my life and my goals, I can get my energy up by going to a really great concert and taking in the energy of the crowd. Some people respond better to sports or plays. I think the key is that the event has to have a good sized crowd with really positive energy. Or maybe I’m just a human leech!

Actually, I’m really pumped up just from writing this article. Maybe I should add 4. Try to Help Other People Get Excited!

Related posts:

1. Suffer More to Change Faster
2. Sliding Scales of Change
3. Not All Change is Created Equal - Multiple Levels of Change
4. If You Want to Change Your Life, You Have to Change Your Mind
5. Sliding Scales - Rapid vs. Gradual Change

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