If your end result imagery is vivid and compelling enough, you’ll achieve it.

Want to succeed at something? Will it take some time? Then you need vivid, compelling outcome rewards!

Research out of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf demonstrated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a part of the brain implicated in reward-based decision making, together with the hippocampus took part in predicting the degree to which forward thinking impacted current decision making. Further, the researchers discovered that the more vivid and compelling the end result imagery, the stronger the degree of impact on short-term distractions. In other words, the more vivid and compelling the end result imagery, the more likely the subjects of the research were to modify their behavior toward achieving the end result and declining short-term distracting rewards.

Let’s work with an example. Suppose you want to lose a few pounds but are faced with the temptation to eat something you know you shouldn’t. The short-term reward is obvious while the long-term reward fades away into what feels like the very distant future – “out of sight – out of mind”.

Now suppose you have developed a VERY vivid and compelling image of your future reward – made it BIG in your mind – given it color, texture, sound, smell and maybe even taste. Suppose you’ve rehearsed and pretended with this end reward in mind – maybe longed for it in your heart like a lover would with a partner. Suppose you’ve infused the image of your end result reward – like you hiking a trail or wearing that swimsuit or showing up at your High School reunion “hot” – exactly as you want it to be in such a vivid image that it is now SO compelling that the end result reward image overcomes all rivals.

In that case, according to the German research, your ACC will kick in and suppress the short-term urges – to the degree you will shun the short-term rewards in favor of the long-term reward. Your brain will actually assist you in achieving your long-term goals if you will make them vivid and compelling enough.

To make end result rewards vivid, involve all your senses in the end result imagery (sight, sound, texture, taste, smell). To make them compelling, involve your emotions – usually with an image of you ENJOYING your end result reward (how will it feel emotionally to wear that sexy slinky black dress? etc.).

The Germans did not test for ecology – so I want to mention it here. If by achieving your long term goal, someone you care about might be harmed, you will not achieve it no matter how vivid and compelling the image. So, to make your goals work, you must address ecology. If you find you have an ecology issue, I recommend hypnotherapy or Rapid Eye Technology – both are well suited to this task.

Research source: Jan Peters and Christian Buchel, of the NeuroimageNord, Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.