Chevel had just got home. After he walked in the door, he took off his jacket and hung it on a hook. Then slipping off his shoes, he slowly walked into the kitchen. He was hungry, but he knew he shouldn't make dinner yet. Not just yet. He had to study English. That was hard.

When he was younger he liked English. He still liked English now, but studying just did not excite him. What could he do to motivate himself to study more? If only he could get excited about it.

Set a Goal

Chevel did not have a goal. The single best thing you can do to motivate yourself...

... is to have a clear goal. Your goal is a picture of the person you will be and the skills you will have after you are finished studying English. These are skills you do not have now.

Make it Visual or Auditory

If you are a good artist you can draw a picture for this. But you don't need to be a good artist. Just imagine that you have these skills now. Then feel those good feelings that come with the skills. Now imagine how you are different? Is is your taller straighter posture? Your confident smile? Or the energy in your voice? The firmness in your voice?

Breath Life into It

Go one step further and imagine where you are. Inside or outside? Who are the people around you? What are you doing? What are the sounds around you? Are there any special smells in that environment? Remember to feel the new confidence you have.

Decide on Four Steps

Decide what three or four steps you can take to help you learn English. Make them concrete. Perhaps you are shadowing some English audio programs. Plus study with good old fashioned flashcards. Are you going to go to a weekly class? Imaging what three or four steps will help you learn English the most. If you want to, you can always change these steps later.

Visualize Yourself Doing the Four Steps

This is like the breath life into it step above, only here you are doing one of the study steps. Don't make it too long. Just a short 3 to 5 second mental video of yourself doing that step. Make it as clear as you can. You will use this mental video later.

Give Each Step a Color.

Give each mental video a color. Maybe imagine the mental video is on a DVD inside a box. Put a bright color on the box. Each one gets a separate color, so they are not confused.

Package Them Together in a Sequence

Now, see how you can put them together in a sequence. You can imagine each mental video, one after the other first. And a flash of color for each one at it's ending. Then imagine putting the boxes together and seeing that combination of colors in that particular order. That is your set.

Put the Final Picture of a Successful You at the End

Don't forget to put the goal image at the end. That is important. This is the cap that holds it all together and gives it meaning in your mind.

Visualize the Sequence and Ending in Seven Seconds

You can set a timer for seven seconds. Personally, since I use this technique, I have recorded the seven second interval with a chime at the end so I know when it is up. I simply put on my headphones and listen. This way I can close my eyes. In fact, I have the seven second interval play again and again for the following sequence.

Do the visualization again, only twice in seven seconds.

Do it again, three times in seven seconds.

Do it again, five times times in seven seconds.

Do it again, eight times in seven seconds.

Do it again, thirteen times in seven seconds.

Do it again, twenty one times in seven seconds.

Now you have pyramided up to twenty one. Pyramid back down.
Thirteen times, then eight then five, etc down to one time in seven seconds.

This is Mental Rehearsal

You need to do this many times to help your brain really take the idea and internalize it. Do this visualization everyday for about two weeks. It should take about three minutes, but you may take more time if you want to relax before you start. When you are finished, your study pattern will seem easy and normal for you.

You will not have to 'make' yourself do it. In fact, you will feel strange if you do not do the study you planned at least once a day. This technique takes a bit of time but it is very powerful. You will never find studying for English difficult again.

Summary

Set a goal, and make it visual or auditory. Breath life into it by adding the other senses. Decide on four steps you can do to make it happen. Visualize yourself doing the four steps. Then, give each step a color. Package them together in a sequence, and put the final picture of a successful you at the end of the sequence. Visualize the sequence with the ending in seven seconds.

Do it two more times in seven seconds. Then three times in seven seconds. And five times times in seven seconds. Then eight times in seven seconds. Then thirteen times in seven seconds. Finally, twenty one times in seven seconds.

Then Pyramid back down.
Thirteen times, then eight then five, etc down to one time in seven seconds.

You are done. Do this process everyday for two weeks. You will have automatic motivation to study.