The negative kind of leverage is more effective because you will fight harder to keep what you have already earned. Put the two kinds of leverage next to each other and you will see gaining something you do not have is easy to give up. In general people have an aversion to the pain that comes from failure, so much so, that you will try far much more to avoid pain and thereby prevent it, and this is why negative leverage is far more effective.

If we choose to double down on the negative leverage and create an accountability partner (someone you share your target with like a friend, family member, or employee) and tell them that if you fail to achieve X please do Y to me. For example, “give your trusted accountability partner a check” and tell them to cash it if you fail unless you succeed at the goal. Suddenly, you will fight tooth and nail to keep that cash in your bank account. But if we think about positive reinforcement, it is easier to give something up like a vacation because it is a bonus. It’s not a need like having a car because taking the bus is rather unpleasant.  

Speaking about unpleasant things, let’s go over a couple of bad ways of thinking that will demotivate you and sabotage your success before you even put that success into words. 

First up we have wishful thinking. Never wish or hope that the target will progress on its own because ideas need more thought to enter your business. This kind of thinking will make you become complacent and lose sight of your target. Drop the ‘I wish’ state of mind and just do it. Mentally commit to doing it first, wake up in the morning, and think I can do it. Another surprisingly ineffective way to think is what we call Plan B. 

Having a Plan B was maybe a good idea to have when you were younger and in school, when the risks are low, and the options are abundant. However, as a business owner, it only acts as an internal excuse, a limitation on your automatic mind. The Plan B mentality will waste your brain power by focusing on a backup and will set up a safety net in your mind. A Plan B only encourages you to miss your targets and to be content with minor success. Once you truly have your back against the wall, and the only way is forward, your dedication to your target will be massive. Plan A is the only plan.    

Now that we have done away with the ‘I Wish’ and ‘Plan Bs’, you can keep your automatic mind laser-focused on achieving the targets you set. Let’s look into how we can act and take some steps toward your target.

To take the first step towards completing a single target create a list of smaller steps you think may help with its success. Then, order the list from most expensive to least expensive to implement. Then place a name beside who you think possesses the skills in your organization to complete those steps. Also, do you recall the Target part of the Think Phase? We said to write down targets based on the time frame as well. Once a project gets rolling, it starts to gain momentum and becomes easier and easier to roll. It is just like moving a car by hand, it is very hard to get it going but it moves smoothly after a few rotations of the wheels, pushing that car becomes less about force and more about steering.