Everyone has dreams and aspirations! That’s what makes living fun! In a recent positive psychology course, I learned about a visualization tool that helps you achieve your goals and think more positively. This tool is backed by more than 20 years of research by Gabriele Oettingen. She’s a professor of psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg.
The Woop Method is a scientifically proven tool to attain any goal that your heart desires. The WOOP method uses a strategy called mental contrasting, which involves “supplementing positive dreams and fantasies with a clear sense of reality,” Oettingen says.
Woop stands for Wish-Outcome-Obstacle-Plan. The four-stage process includes:
Step 1: Wish: Making a wish for what you want
Do you know what you want to achieve? Is your goal realistic? The plan could be a habit, lifestyle change, starting a business, whatever you’d like. Summarize the purpose, then write about the dream. Try to make your goals SMART.
- specific
- manageable
- attainable
- relevant
- time-sensitive
Step 2: Outcome: Being aware of what the outcome would be if you were able to attain that goal
If this were to happen, how would your life change? How would you feel? Visualize yourself having that goal and imagine what would happen if the outcome became real.
Step 3: Obstacles: Identifying what the obstacles are
What is stopping you from getting that goal? Is it limiting beliefs? A feeling of unworthiness? Bad habits? Inconsistent behavior patterns? List all of the things that are stopping you from achieving your deepest desires. Drafting steps two and three are proven to develop motivation. Motivation drives you but isn’t enough to attain the goal. You need step 4 to follow through and achieve the goal.
Step 4: Planning: how to overcome each obstacle
(My favorite step) In step 4, we are going to use a bit of conditional logic. If-then plan [If this obstacle happens – then I will rebuttal with this action] This is known as the implementation of intentions. “Mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) entails mental contrasting a desired future with relevant obstacles of reality and forming implementation intentions (if-then plans) specifying when and where to overcome those obstacles.” (Duckworth, Kirby, Gollwitzer, & Oettingen, 2013)
Examples:
Wish: I want to develop a consistent meditation practice
Outcome: If I develop a consistent meditation practice, I will be more grounded, have less anxiety, and higher levels of mindfulness
Obstacle: I forgot to meditate every day; I’m too busy
Planning: I will make meditation a habit and meditate for 10 minutes every day as soon as I wake up, so meditation becomes part of my routine.
Wish: I want to prove myself as a valuable employee and get that promotion at work
Outcome: If I get that promotion, I will be able to have more job fulfillment leading me to be happier and more pay to support my family
Obstacle: I have a toxic coworker that involves me in a lot of gossip and drama, which is distracting and makes my boss think I’m contributing to the drama
Planning: The next time my coworker involves me in damaging situations with no productive outcome, I will distance myself or politely ask the person to please not involve me in their games.
Wish: Be authentic self on this date and be able to open up
Outcome: Create a real and meaningful connection instead of being superficial
Obstacle: Feeling nervous about being vulnerable by sharing my authentic self with them.
Planning: If I start to think anxious thoughts, I’ll focus on breathing deeply and slowly to come back to the present moment. I’ll remind myself that regardless of what happens, I’ll make a friend from this scenario.
Wish: New clients
Outcome: Increased fulfillment of job and satisfaction in life.
Obstacle: Fear of failure, imposter syndrome
Planning: Reach out to 4 new people a week and realizing failure is inevitable. Failing is beneficial because you can learn from your mistakes.
The list can go on and on….
“People who are pursuing a goal often benefit from planning out in advance how exactly they will implement their goal. Attainment of goals benefits from planning how to overcome obstacles and executing goal-directed actions’ (Gollwitzer, 1999; Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006; Oettingen et al., 2001, 2005). The WOOP method can help you identify the ways that you self sabotage yourself in achieving your dreams.
Research proves that thinking positively about the future can be motivating.
In conclusion,
if you can dream it, that’s the start of visualization,
then think of the obstacles,
then plan to defeat those obstacles,
soon enough;
your dream can become true with time and these action steps.
During your “WOOPing” process, don’t forget to check-in and follow up with yourself. Tracking progress is very rewarding. Here is a completely free tool to try WOOP for yourself
Sources:
Duckworth, A., Kirby, T., Gollwitzer, A., & Oettingen, G. (2013, November 1). From Fantasy to Action: Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII) Improves Academic Performance in Children. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4106484/
https://www.coursera.org/learn/positive-psychology-visionary-science