There is a correlation between positive thinking and ineffective performance, because expectations of a successful outcome demonstrably relaxes a person so much that they lack the energy to achieve the desired outcome.When you pretend you’ve achieved something you want, the brain thinks you have and there goes the get up and go.

Mental attainment

It involves attaching positive thinking to realistic goals. This approach also connects positive thinking to a realistic assessment of one’s possibilities, an awareness of obstacles is inevitable, and that leads to a second aspect of successful mental contrasting.

Mental contrasting

It involves developing if-then strategies for things that may not go as well as hoped as you work to achieve your goals. With these in place, you’re ready to “improvise” — in quotes because you’ve actually planned out your response in advance — as need be and keep moving forward.

Implementation intentions

It stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan and is a practical system to help you turn wishful thinking into reality.Write down your wish, outcome, obstacle, and plan to make it concrete.

 The WOOP method 

Norman Vincent Peale made a career out of it, and we've heard for decades how important it is to be a positive thinker . Visualize and expect what it is you want and it shall be done. As if .

The WOOP method

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The WOOP Motivational Method

Desire – The Starting Point of All Achievement

The 'WOOP' technique for mental constraints