Learn How to Motivate People to Change

There are really many saying that state that we aren't capable of changing people.. An old dog cannot learn new tricks, says one; a zebra cannot change its stripes, says another. But one adage does go, "There is nothing more permanent than change." How can you overcome the fact that you can still change no matter how old you are?

Does this imply that there are actually ways for people to mend their ways? Fortunately, there is hope for you to be able to change people and motivate them to do better. Below are some useful tips you can do and apply when you are going to take on the breathtaking task of motivating someone to change. -

An adage goes, "Acceptance comes before change," and this is something that is true no matter what the occasion or thing that you want changed. You cannot just go smashing and hurtling and driving headlong into a person's life, and act as the revolutionary whirlwind that will enact change. Change must go slowly, and when it goes too fast, you can expect reversion to happen quickly too. When starting out a friendship, accept a person's faults first. Just be sure you set the stage for that person to change because he or she wants to, not because you demanded it and that person simply feels it to be an obligation.

- Try some dolphin training. What do trainers perform to motivate animals to accomplish tricks? They reward animals for a job well completed and ignore animals when they do something wrong. This is proven to work with people as well. You know the exhilaration when you get that raise after years of working hard, that medal after all your effort in school, that baby after all your hours in painful labor. But you also know how distressing it is to be neglected and shown indifference.

When you are pleased with somebody's actions, reward that person with a smile, a compliment, even a treat at a nearby ice cream parlor, if you are so inclined. Yet when that same person behaves badly and you want that person to change, stay away from a confrontation: ignore the person instead, and let that person vent till the dust settles and he or she feels that you are ignoring him or her. Repeat til you have the results you want.

- Have patience. Motivating someone to change won't happen right away. If you prefer a person to change quickly, you are treading into unsure waters. And if that person really does change quickly, you are bound to be heartbroken on 2 fronts: first, that person can easily be changed and swayed to do anything, and you are stuck with a pushover; and 2nd, that person can quickly revert to old times and hurt you again. You have to muster up a lot of courage and patience to have to deal with such people.

- Be gentle. You may be tempted to get mad at a friend for hurting you over and over, and you'll be tempted to shout and throw a tantrum. You will simply add fire to a flame, and you can risk getting yourself hurt without having any significant changes occurring. Try talking calmly to your friend, and then leave it at that.

- Don't be afraid to walk away. Sometimes, leaving a person to find himself or herself can be quite a powerful way to motivate a person actually to change for the better.