Make A Contract!

I wanted to share something that has got me lucid 3 times in 3 nights so far. It might just be a coincidence but I'm not sure.
Recently I read in a book a helpful way to make and stick to goals. The steps were roughly like this:

1. Make a list of goals you want to achieve.
2. On a separate piece of paper for each goal, write a heading for what the goal is, WHEN you want to achieve it by, list the steps you will take to achieve it, possible obstacles and how you can overcome them.
3. SIGN it and DATE it.

I tried this with a bunch of goals, so I have a small stack of papers that are kind of like official contracts to myself. So far they've all been going surprisingly well, so generally you might like to try it if you have goals you wanna work on. But in particular it's worth noting that, of course, one of my goals was to LD. For the date, I set it at Dec 31, just because I wanted to have at least one this month. For the steps, I put things like doing research, RC's, and recording dreams.

And boom, 3 lucids in 3 nights. I was pretty stoked.

Don't rush in and just make a single contract for LD's though. I think the key here is to have several varied goals that you are willing to work on. That way you really feel like you are accomplishing your goals step by step, and LDing will then just happen naturally as a fulfillment of your goals. Signing it and dating it makes it seem like a promise to yourself, so I think that's important too.

Please try it and let me know how it goes. And stick with your goals no matter what they are.

I'm in for this! I'll try to just make my goal "get lucid" and a sub-goal "find person C." I've been trying to summon him and it hasn't worked so far, so I'll just try that.

..could you give an example "template" contract of how you do it? I know we're all supposed to make our own, but it would be inspiring, and a place to start.

Awesome idea!

The key is to make other real world goals, and stick to them. My LDs came with no preparation, I hadn't even taken any of the steps I'd written down. It was either coincidence, or a result of simply sticking to my other goals.

Template:

GOAL #: GOAL TITLE

DEADLINE:

STEPS:
1.
2.
3.

OBSTACLES:

OVERCOME:

(SIGNATURE) (DATE)

I recommend doing it on paper though. More official!

I've written it down like this:

What: get lucid
How:
1. Research
2. Reality Checks
3. Fild
--> if fails -> WILD

08-12-2011
[my signature]

Thanks for the idea, hope you continue to have more lucids!

Just wanted to update you, this technique is still working for me! I'm so glad to have found something that has worked - I have had a lucid every night for the last week now and am stoked :) I hope you find success with this like I have!

I've actually experienced success with a similar technique :) going to try this out tonight, wish me luck! :)

Good luck. Hasn't worked for me.. contract runs out on christmas though lol so we will see!

I made a contract for last night, and I got my longest lucid so far. I also read some inspirational book about LDing, did my new RCs and not to forget, I took GM. Me happy:)

Yay! So glad it worked for someone else :)

Okay, I've made my contract.
Goal 1: First contact
Deadline: December 26, 2011
Steps (to be completed in any order):
1. Recall 3 dreams, journal them.
2. Have first lucid dream.
Obstacles:
Attaining lucidity
Dream recall
Overcome:
Research
FILD
ADA
Date: December 15, 2011
[signature]

Thanks for the new technique. Perhaps I'll get my first lucid dream! Post results soon.

Again, I feel I should emphasize the need to have more than one contract. I believe this worked for me because I had several different goal contracts, one for dreaming, one for studying, one for health etc. Sticking to your other contracts seems to make you believe that you are sticking to the dream contract as well.
I really doubt the effectiveness of simply having a single contract solely for LDing.