Author: Buchanan Dunn

There are multiple definitions for fetish but they mostly boil down to this, an object or idea of power that is necessary to create a desired outcome.

In folk lore it may have been the finger bone wielded by a witch doctor or a spell in an ancient language. More recently Harry Potter’s wand or even a pair of handcuffs ( I will leave it to you to fill in who uses those as a fetish).

In our current society one the fetishes I see a lot is The Finish. It is used to focus a person or group on doing their part to complete a goal. The list of things that will be better if the goal is achieved, becomes the spell that activates it.

It can and sometimes work as desired and progress is sustained towards the goal.

The problem with The Finish, as a fetish, is that it becomes necessary. If the goal changes or doesn’t resonate with the person or some members of the group, it loses its power and progress can stall.

This is just something to be aware of when picking a motivation tool. Define the goal based on the smallest set of key elements that are likely to not shift and understand those who need to be motivated and tune it to resonate with their values.

There are other options that are more stable but more on those later.

All things start when an idea arrives. It could be one of our own or one that was handed to us, either by invitation or direction. The idea may take many forms but when boiled down to it’s essence, it is really a possibility of a reality different from the current.

Even something as mundane as cleaning the room or driving somewhere is just changing the current reality towards a new chosen one.

So a great starting point for just about anything is to form a mental image of the desired reality. Follow that up with a quick comparison with the current and a quick list of differences comes into existence. All that remains is adjusting the current to match the desired and some say that is what happiness is.

Sounds simple, right?

If the differences are clear and easy to eliminate, then yes it can be, but what about the big ideas? World peace, a sustainable environment, a child grown into a functional adult or even a nice set of abs? These are big and take consistent, long running efforts. The picture of the desired reality is large and blurry, except the abs since you see thousands of those on Instagram. The list of differences is usually long and vague, many of which are without clear actions to take in eliminating.

So all you need to do is get started right. Oh wouldn’t that be great but the problems start when you lose focus on that list and drift away from that desire.

That is what this blog will be about, where and how to continue moving. One thing that it won’t be about is finishing. The why of that will come later but for now just keep that list in focus and keep moving.

Hope you are willing to join me for this journey.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton