A SIMPLE WAY TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

…Just Write Them Out

Long before Jim Carrey became a Hollywood superstar, he wrote himself a make-believe check for $10 million, with the notation For Services Rendered.

Prior to creating the Dilbert cartoon, Scott Adams wrote at least 15 times a day, I will become a syndicated cartoonist.

These stories dramatically demonstrate how writing is such a powerful tool for achieving goals – from getting the perfect job…to meeting someone special…to feeling content.

Writing vs. Thinking

Writing down goals is better than just thinking about them. It stimulates the “filtering” part of the brain, called the Reticular Activating System (RAS).

When someone whispers your name from across a crowded room, the RAS instantly picks it out of the din.

And…when you write your goals, the RAS begins collecting pertinent information and routes it to the conscious part of your mind. You become aware of opportunities you would never have noticed otherwise.

True story: While still in his 20s, legendary football coach Lou Holtz wrote down more than 100 “impossible” goals. They included having dinner at the White House, meeting the Pope, and being coach of the year. Decades later, he had accomplished all these and more. Of his original 107 goals, he had achieved 81.

Write Down All Goals

Include short- and long-term goals -include how much money you want to make next year…¦what kind of car you would like to own…how much weight you want to lose, etc. To make writing easier…

Don’t be concerned with spelling and grammar. Simply write down everything you have dreamed about, in whatever order it comes to mind.

Don’t edit your ideas, no matter how impractical they seem. I’ve talked to many people who wrote down their pie-in-the-sky dreams 20 years before – and ultimately achieved them.

Write goals in reverse. It is difficult to articulate dreams when we let fears keep us from pursuing what we desire.

Try this: On one side of a sheet of paper, write down your “antigoals” – what is standing in the way of your goals. These might include I don’t want people to laugh at me or I’m going to fail. On the other side of the sheet, jot down the exact opposite – Everyone admires me and I’m going to succeed brilliantly.

Be specific. The mind has trouble dealing with abstractions, so make your goals concrete.

Examples: If your dream is to have a Porsche, describe how it feels on the road – the sheen of the paint…the luxurious leather upholstery.

Creating a vivid picture makes it easier for your mind to explore how to make it happen.

Focus on the outcome. Sometimes what seems like failure is really just a detour.

Example: Suppose one of your written goals is to lose 30 pounds. On the same piece of paper, describe why you want to lose weight- you’ll look better in clothes…have more energy…feel better about yourself, etc.

These “goals behind the goals” are the ones you really want to achieve. Even if you don’t lose the weight, you may discover later that you succeeded in more important ways.

Prepare short-term goals as well. Example: You’re meeting with your boss to review status on several projects. Jot down what you would like to accomplish during the meeting. You don’t have to take the list with you. Writing it down will help your brain hold the information.

Carry a pen and paper everywhere – you never know when inspiration will hit. And write on whatever paper you have at hand. Set aside a drawer or a box where you can save your notes.

Date your ideas. This is essential. When you review them months or years later, you’ll see how far you have come and be amazed.

Park your worries. The fears we all carry can prevent us from achieving what we’re capable of. By writing down fears, things that seemed terrifying when they were swirling around in your head become more manageable.

Find new places to write. The hardest part about writing your life’s script is putting down those first words. Get away from your desk. Go to a coffee shop…a bench in the park…a patch of grass near a stream. The change of environment will get the juices flowing.

~contributed by Henriette Anne Klauser, Ph.D.

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