by
Maya Talisman Frost
My goal in life is to have no goals. They
get in the way of true progress.
Plenty
of successful people swear by goal setting.
They're praising the wrong behavior. Brain
research tells us that the goals don't matter--it's
the intention that gets us where we want to
go.
Intentions
and goals are not the same. Goals tend to
be arbitrary and number-oriented, such as
the number of pounds lost, amount of money
earned, number of hours spent in the gym,
number of new clients introduced or new products
developed. Intentions are big-picture statements
about what fulfills you. It's a little harder
to measure an intention, but the results are
more meaningful.
Let's
say you want to lose 20 pounds. How will you
feel when you do that? What will your life
be like if you are 20 pounds lighter? Establishing
an intention requires recognizing what will
satisfy you.
You
want to lose weight so that you will feel
healthy, strong, fit, confident, attractive,
and sexy. The number on the scale isn't what
matters most--it's how you feel each day.
Here's
a weight loss goal: I will lose 20 pounds
in five months.
Here's
an intention: I feel strong, healthy, fit,
confident, attractive and sexy.
The
problem with typical goals is that we tend
to get bogged down by our "even though"
statements. We tell ourselves that we are
going to lose 20 pounds EVEN THOUGH we failed
last time, EVEN THOUGH we question our ability
to do so, EVEN THOUGH we don't think we'll
be able to maintain it. Our minds go directly
to the negative images and we sabotage our
efforts before we even begin!
Here's
a thought: Why not create an intention that
will get your brain to work for you instead
of against you?
Intentions
allow us to picture ourselves--and how we'll
feel--when we are successful. There's no room
for failure in the picture. We focus on the
positive and powerful feelings we'll have.
Intentions
are always stated in present tense, as though
you are already where you want to be. Instead
of saying, "I will be strong, fit, healthy,
etc.", you say, "I feel strong,
fit, healthy, etc." What seems like a
small semantic difference is a huge shift
in our brains.
The
latest brain studies suggest that the most
effective way to change our beliefs is to
create a mental story of success. We need
to picture ourselves as we want to be, and
we need to talk about it. Here's the basic
formula: See it, say it, hear it.
Our
unconscious brain sees everything in pictures.
It does not filter images based on what our
conscious mind considers true, likely or possible.
It literally does not distinguish between
reality and fantasy. Think of the nonsensical
dreams you've had!
Language
is most fully processed in the brain when
there is a visualized image to go along with
it. These images and words become linked to
create our "truth"-- at least, according
to our brains. And that's where it matters
most.
Say
it out loud, and you're engaging your aural
learning skills as well.
By
intentionally creating new images through
visualization, we literally create our own
version of reality, and as you've probably
learned by now, we tend to live in whatever
reality we construct. Our potential is limited
only by the mental images we choose to develop
and store. It's that simple--and that profound.
Stop
setting goals, and start creating intentions.
The secret is to include ALL of these steps:
*SEE
yourself in the circumstances you desire.
Picture it perfectly.
*Craft
a one-paragraph story that you would like
to be true, and SAY it in present tense, as
though you are describing your life right
now.
*Repeat,
repeat, repeat. Demand to HEAR that same story
every night before you go to sleep.
What's
your intention? Focus on feelings, not numbers.
Picture it, and write it down. Repeat it to
yourself until it becomes familiar and beloved--complete
with favorite parts, great pictures, and a
happy ending.
Stop
pushing toward goals and start being pulled
by your intentions. Let your brain go to work
for you.
See
it, say it, hear it. You'll never need another
goal!
About
the author: Maya Talisman Frost is a mind
masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in
over 80 countries. She serves up a satisfying
blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief
in her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind
Massage. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com
