Positive Feedback Loops
These happen a lot, and unfortunately for some, we tend to remember and focus more on the “negative” self sustaining loops than the positive.
Since most people have some kind of experience with dieting and losing weight, that’s a good example of both.
A positive self sustaining loop would be when you start small, build up some momentum, and then find yourself six or so months later actually looking forward to exercising. You start needing less and less willpower to avoid those foods you know you should.
On the other hand, eating the wrong foods tends to make you feel lousy. And when we feel lousy, we tend to turn to quick “pick me ups” which tend to more of the wrong foods. And the cycle continues.
I’m sure you can identify cycles like this in all areas of life. They’re part of nature, and even inorganic systems like whirlpools and sinkholes.
In our own lives, one common difference is our time frame. When we’re in a “negative” self fulfilling loop, our minds tend to focus only a day or two ahead of time. When we feel like eating that “bad” food for example, we are intently focused on the present, without really focusing on the outcome a couple days later.
On the other hand, when we find ourselves in those wonderful “positive” self fulfilling loops, we tend to look at the long term. Because the long term looks GOOD.
That affects our “now” decision making process, which helps us to make decisions in the “now” that are much better for our future.
It’s no secret that people that do well in business are VERY good at this. The ability to think about what they are doing NOW, and see how it will affect their lives years in the future.
Now, I know how incredibly hard it is when you’re smack dab in the middle of one of those “negative” self reinforcing loops. It can seem impossible to get out.
The trick is to start small. Very small. So small you won’t even notice. The secret of building a HUGE life of massive prosperity is not on gigantic thing you do.
It’s a gigantic COLLECTION of very small things you do. Things that will snowball into HUGE things out into your future.
All rich people have this in common. They all started small. (A surprisingly small number of rich people inherited their wealth). Then by slowly building that ever important momentum, they turned those small daily things into a life of HUGE success.
YOU can do the same. All humans can. We all have the capacity. And it only takes a small shift in thinking to kick it off.
If you start today, you’re future “you” will thank you.