WOOP - The scientifically proven method for accomplishing goals

WOOP! WOOP!

I did it! I committed to 100 days of creation.

Tomorrow. Monday, January 25th 2021.

I will be making and sharing 1 piece of jewelry every day for 100 days.

I decided to do this project early in the week. I spent the week owning what I was committing to. Recognizing the challenges that will arise. Time management, motivation, perfectionism, self-doubt. 

How did I “Own” my commitment? 

I worked through my concerns using the W.O.O.P method. This method is a combination of two scientifically proven practices for accomplishing goals. Mental Contrasting and Implementation Intentions.

W.O.O.P is an acronym for Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, and Plan.

Wish = Your goal. What you want to achieve.

Outcome = What will happen if you achieve this goal. What will you receive? How will you feel? I channeled my favorite quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer on this step. “Feel the feeling of the wish fulfilled” Really step into the world in which you have accomplished this goal. What does it feel like, look like. Where are you? What are you wearing?

Obstacles = What are the challenges to achieving your wish? What are the obstacles you know you will run into along the way?

Plan = How will you overcome these obstacles? Make a plan. It is helpful to use ‘if’ or ‘when’ statements. If _____ challenge happens I plan to ______ to push through it. When _____ obstacle arises, I will take _____ action to overcome it.

Here is how I WOOP’ed my 100 day creation challenge.

Wish = Create 1 piece of jewelry everyday for 100 days.

Outcome = I will feel connected by engaging with my community. I will feel closer to finding my idiosyncrasy. I will feel joyful accomplishing a creative task everyday. I will feel stronger in my ability to overcome negative self-talk and perfectionism. I will feel proud for having been brave enough to be messy and vulnerable. I will use up my supply of stones and metal, which means I will get to go shopping to restock my supplies :)

Obstacles =  Time Management. Procrastination. Perfectionism. Lack of inspiration. Boredom. Lack of support.

Plan = Time management. I do a lot of hammering and sawing to get the shapes I want. This can be disruptive in the early mornings or in the evening. I work a full time job and am unable to work on my craft mid-day. My plan is to saw and hammer shapes and findings on Saturdays. I will do all other design, curation, creation, assembly, and photography during the week. 

Time management plan:

Morning = Make

Mid-morning sun = Photograph

Early evening = share to social and website. 

Save the more messy, time consuming designs for the weekend.

- Perfectionism. This holds me back a lot in my creativity. If my perfectionism starts to chirp in my ear “If you can’t do it right, donat do it at all” I will remind myself of the permission slip I signed 

Dear Kenna, I give you permission to play. I give you permission to be messy. I give you permission to make mediocre things. I give you permission to be patient, kind and to trust the process. I love you. I’ll be right here with you. Let’s go! 

 - If my perfectionism tells me the project in not going the way I want I could remind myself of my wish to discover something new. The gift of releasing attachment to the outcome is infinite possibilities. The excitement is in the beauty of not knowing. 

 - If I'm feeling uninspired I can do a little digging to figure out why. Am I stuck because I don’t have any “good” ideas. If yes, I can permit myself to make a “bad” design. I could also reach out to my community and ask what they want me to make. Ask for an assignment. 

- If I am feeling bored. Dig a little deeper. This is usually a trick my perfectionism plays when I feel I may create something undesirable. Just make something.   

Let’s go Kenna! You can do this! 

Want to see all of my messy mediocre creations? Yes, you do :) This is exciting!  I will be posting everyday to my instagram and website. 100 Days of Creation.

Now, I am going to ask you for help. This is not my ‘most favorite’ thing to do.

Could you help cheer me on? Help me work past the resistance? I want to hear what you like, what you don’t like. Help point me in the right direction.

Thank you! I am already nervous. 

Follow me Instagram Facebook or the 100 Days of Creation page on my website

Have you ever used WOOP method? Did it work for you? Will you implement this strategy on a goal you want to achieve? Tell me in the comments.

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