Meaningful Motivation Principle 6: Cultivate a sense of accomplishment

TLDR:?

Transformation is a journey, and usually a challenging one. Your job as the facilitator of change is to help your clients and customers shift their sense of belief from “I can’t do it” to “I am doing it.”?

Transformational journeys are usually inspired by the pot of gold at the end of the proverbial change rainbow. But, deep and lasting change doesn’t happen by snapping our fingers and landing at our destination transformed. (Voila!) Instead, it happens over time, through a continuous process of shifting the way we think, feel and behave, and our understanding of ourselves. Transformers who don’t receive steady reinforcement of this process are likely to lose heart. When hired to support Meaningful Motivation, one key way to add value to your product or service is through helping your clients deepen their belief in themselves and the process of change.? In this article we unpack some key ways that you can help your clients and customers boost their sense of accomplishment at every stage of the journey.

Help them get quick wins

Quick wins that require minimal time or effort can impact self-belief and feelings of momentum, especially at the start of the journey when clients are usually battling some internal voice that says they can’t succeed. Early proof of success, no matter how small, can feel significant and foster a sense of readiness for bigger, sustained change journeys. Sometimes, these are as small as simply celebrating showing up or registering, or changing one tiny behavior, one time. Collecting those small changes and holding them up as proof of engagement and readiness offer a preview into the fulfillment that comes with sustained focus and energy. Bonus: Quick wins are also a powerful opportunity to reinforce trust in the process and deepen confidence in the impact of the transformative journey you’ve designed.

Help them sense their shifts

If your client or customer’s goal is outcome based, you’ll want to find ways to help them sense? the shifts that contribute to those outcomes, in order to demonstrate the importance of the process of change. For example, if a person wants to lose 50 pounds, there will inevitably be ups and downs on that journey. If their only focus is on the pounds lost, they’ll likely throw in the towel when the weight losses slow or stall temporarily. To help them sustain the plateaus on the journey, you can point their attention toward the other changes that have happened as a result of their journey. Perhaps they notice a greater sense of energy, better sleep, clearer thinking, or a boost of confidence. As an experience designer, your clients will rely on you to be the conduit to those realizations through the questions you ask and the milestones and moments you acknowledge and celebrate.?

Help them appreciate the value of insight

Not all changes along the journey are physical or felt. Many are, just as powerfully, insight gains. Through the ups and downs of any journey, we learn more about what does and doesn’t work for us. Reinforce for your clients the value of learning and you’ll boost their sense of accomplishment and willingness to continue not just toward their stated goal, but toward their understanding of themselves.

The wrap-up

Transformation is a journey, and usually a challenging one. Your job as the facilitator of change is to help your clients and customers shift their sense of belief from “I can’t do it” to “I am doing it.”?