Succeed or die

Are you facing a daunting task, a difficult challenge, or a project where you really want to (or have to) achieve wild success? If so, here's a technique that may help you achieve the kind of breakthough thinking you'll need to succeed.

In the past, I've written about the technique of "trying on beliefs" (see related posts below). With this technique, you pretend that something is true and act as though it is true. If you go with the spirit of the technique, you'll find you'll make different decisions, interact with people in different ways, etc. This approach can have a powerful influence on the outcomes you achieve.

With that in mind, try on the following belief about your project:

You will die if your project is not successful in 6 months.

• What will you do to ensure your don't die?
• What things are you doing that put your project at risk? What are you going to do to stop those things?
• What actions will you take to increase the odds that you'll be around in 6 months?
• Who will you ask for help to increase the chance you'll make it?

Adjust the time frame above to fit your needs, but the concept holds no matter what. Basically, this approach is a good way to help you think about what you'd do if your life depended on it.

Try it on - you might like it. It works for me.

Related posts:

Pretend you create everything that happens to you
Mind hacks
Breakthrough performance
Take responsibility for your own well-being

Comments

[Olegis]

well I believe that such method putes you under pressure and you'l be really nervous. you'll lose your sleep, good sex and free time. How can you live easily if you do know that you will die?
I doubt that "do or die" will help you in everyday projects.
too much pressure.

[gicheru]

depends on the kind of mentality you have. A good part of fear and pain are psychological. There are many people who want to live and will assure they do if death is lurking around the corner. So it depends on who you are and how you deal with death.

[Dwayne Melancon]

Yes, gicheru echos the point I was hoping to make. Since a lot of this is about attitude, create an artificial "fear factor" in your mind to help you expand the options you consider.

If there isn't much stress about the outcome, you'll tend to stick with options that are comfortable. Often, breakthroughs occur when you take actions that are outside your comfort zone.

This technique is just one way to get yourself to feel that adrenaline rush / sense of anxiety and urgency to get you to come up with more impactful plans.

And Olegis - at the end of the day, you can remind yourself it was just a mental exercise and can go home and do anything you want. ;^)

[Marc Greve]

I think people should actually try out the idea before making any comments on new techniques. That way it can be refined in community comments and may be expanded to fit all mindsets.