1. CREATINGCREATING
THE RESULTS THATTHE RESULTS THAT
MATTER TO YOUMATTER TO YOU
(Adapted from “The Path of Least Resistance”(Adapted from “The Path of Least Resistance”
written by Robert Fritz)written by Robert Fritz)
2. RESULTRESULT
• You will learn how to shift from reacting
and responding to circumstances to
creating the result you want
3. CREATINGCREATING
• is bringing about things that are most
important to you in a tangible way:
– your dreams
– aspirations and
– what you truly want your life to be
4. CREATINGCREATING
• has NOTHING to do with
– fixing what does not work or
– getting away from something you don’t like or
you don’t want, and
– it’s NOT problem solving
• is NOT designed to heal you, fix you, or
satisfy you
5. CREATINGCREATING
• is a way in which you can bring your
talents, energies, actions, imagination,
reason, intuition and
• even love to the creation you desire
• Love is generative rather than simply
responsive
• If you love your creation enough you
will take whatever actions necessary to
bring the creation into the world
6. A deep longing to create resides within theA deep longing to create resides within the
human soulhuman soul
Everyone has an urge to bring somethingEveryone has an urge to bring something
into being that has not existed beforeinto being that has not existed before
except in their imaginationexcept in their imagination
9. People are by nature creatorsPeople are by nature creators
butbut
very few have been trained to createvery few have been trained to create
10. Experience whileExperience while
CREATINGCREATING
• InvolvedInvolved
• Focused outwardlyFocused outwardly
• Focused in the momentFocused in the moment
• A sense of timelessnessA sense of timelessness
• A feeling of freedomA feeling of freedom
• A sense of vital energyA sense of vital energy
• A sense of themselves/A sense of themselves/
independenceindependence
• Life seems importantLife seems important
NOT CREATINGNOT CREATING
• Often not involvedOften not involved
• Focused inwardlyFocused inwardly
• Not focusedNot focused
• Often under pressureOften under pressure
• Somewhat oppressed bySomewhat oppressed by
circumstancescircumstances
• Often tired or depletedOften tired or depleted
• Unclear sense ofUnclear sense of
themselvesthemselves
• Life often seems arbitraryLife often seems arbitrary
11. In the creative processIn the creative process
• You never need to misrepresent toYou never need to misrepresent to
yourself what you think or wantyourself what you think or want
• You focus on yourYou focus on your REALREAL opinions andopinions and
REALREAL desires when you first conceive of adesires when you first conceive of a
resultresult
• You don’t know whether or not it isYou don’t know whether or not it is
possible to create the resultpossible to create the result
• You know only that it seems probableYou know only that it seems probable
12. First StepFirst Step
• A simple question:
– What results do you want to create?
• You conceive of the result you want
• You don’t know HOW you will GET
THERE
• You want what you want whether or not it
is possible
13. Criteria for good end resultsCriteria for good end results
1. It is the end result.
2. It is separate from you.
3. It doesn’t have to be created.
4. It is not problem solving.
5. It is what you want independent of whether or
not it’s possible.
6. It is driven by desire, not by circumstances.
7. It is clear and specific, rather than vague and
unspecific. It can be quantified.
8. It is not an ideal.
14. Second StepSecond Step
• CHOICE!
• Ask the right question:
– What end result do you want?
• Answer it regardless of the circumstances or any
situation
• You know the answer either rationally or
intuitively
• When you make a choice, you focus vast
human energy which goes untapped
15. How to chooseHow to choose
• Ask the question “What do you want?”
• Don’t limit what you want based on what you
think is possible
• Conceive of the whole picture of what you want
including the circumstances and choose them all
• Ask yourself the test-question: “If I could have it,
would I take it?”
• If YES,
• Formally make your choice
16. Types of ChoicesTypes of Choices
• Primary Choice – about the final result (this is
something you want)
• Secondary Choices – actions in support of the
primary choice
• Fundamental Choice
• Essentially different from other choices
• It’s not about a direct result
• It’s about a state of being
• It’s about your general orientation/perspective
• It’s a foundation of your life-building process
17. Fundamental ChoiceFundamental Choice
• to be theto be the predominant creative forcepredominant creative force inin
your life;your life;
• to beto be true to yourselftrue to yourself;;
• to beto be freefree (of fears, negative thoughts and(of fears, negative thoughts and
feelings);feelings);
• to beto be healthyhealthy (mentally, emotionally,(mentally, emotionally,
physically and spiritually).physically and spiritually).
18. Fundamental ChoiceFundamental Choice
• Once you have made a fundamental
choice you will naturally organize your
primary and secondary choices in concert
with the fundamental choice
the level of your involvement becomes
self-generating rather than dependent
upon circumstances
19. Third Step: Current RealityThird Step: Current Reality
• Accurately describing the present
conditions is a skill that can be developed
• You need to develop the skill of viewing
reality objectively
20. Common MistakesCommon Mistakes
• Describing only what you don’t like about the
condition
• Describing only what you do like about the
condition
• Making it seem worse than it really is
• Making it seem better than it really is
• Minimizing how good or bad it is
• Imposing how it “should” be on how it really is
• Analyzing how it got to be the way it is
22. Structural TensionStructural Tension
• Tension can only be resolved in three
ways:
1. You can give up what you want (vision).
2. You can misrepresent what you currently have
(current reality).
3. You can create what you want (structural tension
– creative tension)
• Tension is structural, not psychological
23. FOCUSFOCUS
• an important ability in the creative process
that can be developed
• focusing on
• the result and
• what you currently have in relation to the result
• Principle:
“Conscious focus creates energy”
24. Two types of motivationTwo types of motivation
1. Our actions are motivated either by our
circumstances
– Problems, unwanted consequences,
conflicts, lack of resources, conflict of
interests, pressure from others
REACTING AND RESPONDING
(action is either a reaction against or a
response to circumstances)
25. The problemThe problem
LEADS TO
Action to solve the problem
LEADS TO
Less intensity of the problem
LEADS TO
Less action to solve the problem
LEADS TO
The problem remaining
26. Two types of motivationTwo types of motivation
1. Our actions are motivated by desire and
aspiration
– To bring something into being, to
accomplish results that matter, to build
something
CREATING
(action taken is motivated by desire to
achieve an end result)
27. PROBLEM SOLVINGPROBLEM SOLVING ::
IS TAKING ACTION TO HAVE
SOMETHING GO AWAY
– THE PROBLEM
CREATINGCREATING ::
IS TAKING ACTION TO HAVE
SOMETHING COME INTO BEING
– THE CREATION
28. Tension-Resolution SystemsTension-Resolution Systems
• A structural principle in nature:
– tension seeks resolution
• In nature and in our lives there are
structures of
– Simple tension-resolution systems
– Complex tension-resolution systems
29. Simple SystemSimple System
• Contains one single tension
– Tension Resolution
– Hungry Eat
– Overweight Not eat
• Two simple systems tied together
– Tension Resolution
– Hungry Eat
– Overweight Not eat
30. • You can’t resolve the tension in these two
systems
• Resolution in the system increases the
tension of the other system
– Tension Resolution
– Hungry Eat
– Overweight Not eat
31. • On the level of appearance the dieter is
taking action to lose weight
• On the level of structure, the actions are
designed to resolve structural conflict
32. Structural ConflictStructural Conflict
• We have two or more tension-resolution systems
with mutually exclusive points of resolution
• The behaviour you see is oscillation over an
extended period of time
• The underlying structure gives rise to your
behaviour
• Sometimes it’s easier to diet, sometimes it’s
easier to eat
33. Basic Structure of StructuralBasic Structure of Structural
ConflictConflict
• Tension Resolution
• Desire to have Have
end result desired result
• Belief you can’t Do not have the
have what you desired result
want
This structure reinforces fixed patterns of
behaviour. It’s common in our lives.
34. Basic Structure of StructuralBasic Structure of Structural
ConflictConflict
• Is formed by two competing tension -
resolution systems
1. Your desire
2. Your incompatible dominant belief that you can’t
have what you desire!
• “Solving” structural conflict:
1. You “give up” your dominant belief
2. You “give up” your desire
• Structural Conflict is NOT resolvable
35. Compensating StrategiesCompensating Strategies
1. Staying within the area of tolerable conflict
2. Conflict manipulation
3. Willpower manipulation
• You may develop one or more of these
strategies all of them inhibit true
creating
36. Area of tolerable conflictArea of tolerable conflict
• The goal is equilibrium
• Minimize the amplitude of the oscillation
• Oscillation creates emotional experiences
(minimize uncomfortable feelings so that they
can be tolerated; avoid change; “you don’t rock
the boat”; when challenged – move away from
conflict)
• Behaviour limits aspiration and minimizes loss
• Reaching for only the “realistic”
37. Area of tolerable conflictArea of tolerable conflict
Negative
Belief
Desire
38. Conflict ManipulationConflict Manipulation
• You try to “motivate” yourself into action
by
– Intensifying the conflict – presenting a
“negative” vision (fear, guilt, and pity) or
unwanted consequence
– Taking action only to reduce pressure and
relieve the emotional conflict instead of
creating what you want
40. Willpower ManipulationWillpower Manipulation
• Many people take little or no action unless they
“motivate” themselves through
– positive attitudes (“self-manipulation”),
– positive thinking (“affirmations”, “mantras”),
– inspiration,
– exaggerated determination (forcing themselves in
compliance with what they wish to see happen)
– the structure reinforces powerlessness over time
42. • Structural conflict is not resolvable
• We need another structure that is senior to
structural conflict
• This NEW structure:
– incorporates structural conflict into itself
– transposes a complex structure into a simple
structure
– it has ONE major tension with a tendency
to completely resolve it in favour of the
desired result
STRUCTURAL TENSION
44. The pivotal techniqueThe pivotal technique
• Is used when circumstances are not the way
you want them to be
1. Describe where you are
2. Describe where you want to be
3. Once again, formally choose the result you want
4. Move on
This technique re-establishes STRUCTURAL
TENSION
Editor's Notes
The educational system doesn’t focus on the results you as a student want. Instead it promotes the notion that what you should learn is process. You should learn how to do math, construct sentences, how to write research papers and lab reports. The assumption is that as you become fluent in these processes, the results will take care of themselves.
Conversations have also simple tension resolution systems (question – answer)
