Priming, Engagement, Affirmation, Continuation, Change: Differentiating the Two Main Processes

People are usually conscious of only three major steps out of five concerning what we do with our attention. Then, they often feel like there are gaps in their understanding along with contradictions between what they feel should happen and what does happen. Well, those gaps are real, but they don't need to continue. There are two different processes (generally speaking) concerning how we are aware of being motivated and staying motivated. These processes involve the same five steps but two of the steps change their order, depending on which process is stronger at the moment. My title lists these five steps in the basic order.

We move through a process of noticing and then reacting or being intentionally responsive. When emotions and instincts are primary in this process, the steps follow in this order: priming, engagement, affirmation, continuation, and change. This is following what neurologists talk about as bottom-up processing (the evolutionary "bottom" being instincts and emotions while the "top"--concerning the brain's processing and activity--has more to do with the primate and homo sapien aspects of consciousness [thinking, planning, certain types of training and creativity, etc.]). I'll explain the separate steps in a minute, but I want to point out the two main processes first.

When top-down processing is predominant, the affirmation stage comes before the engagement stage: priming, affirmation, engagement, continuation, and then change. This happens when we think to ourselves that we want to do something and then we try to do it. That process tends to be weaker than the emotionally-driven process where engagement comes before affirmation. But this second process is very powerful across extended periods of time because it can be more consistent (in a certain way) than the instinctual-emotional process. As an example, think about Jonezing for a cigarette, beer, lay, doughnut, whatever. When it's something you don't think you should really go after, the two general motivational processes are in conflict. Your (weaker) top-down, thinking mind says, "Don't do it--one more doughnut isn't what you need." But your (stronger and usually faster) bottom-up process doesn't say much. It pushes the geeky weenie out of it's way and rips through a whole box of doughnuts.

Hopefully, as we mature, we learn how to improve the strength and accuracy of the top-down processing, and that geeky weenie studies up on how to get bigger and stronger. Eventually, that geeky middle school kid can become Tony Robbins and the high school jock (bottom-up processing) either stays the same or just gets fat and lazy. (Not to go too "Breakfast Club" on you, but it's pretty simple.)

Two types.
Bottom-up: priming, engagement, affirmation, continuation, change.
Top-down: priming, affirmation, engagement, continuation, change.

Usually, people are only aware of and somewhat knowledgeable about engagement, affirmation, and change. If we learn about how all five steps fit together, and how the two different processes interact, quite a lot becomes possible.