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Brain-Compatible Goal Setting
How and Why Goals Drive Motivation
Brian Walsh
It is important to write down your goals, since that action
imprints them on your brain. Before writing your goals, identify
what price you are willing to pay to achieve them. These may
be material, emotional, or spiritual. At some point, expose
your barriers and excuses; write them on a separate piece
of paper. This list is not meant to be dwelled on; it is meant
merely as acknowledgement - celebrate as you conquer each
barrier or excuse.
If you are finding it difficult to decide on what you want,
you could consider what author Michael Losier advised in his
book, The Law of Attraction. He teaches a process of listing
what you don't want as a prelude to making your definitive
list of what you do want. Mark Victor Hansen co-author of
Chicken Soup for The Soul said, "Once focused on the positive,
you act as a magnet, to attract those things you hold in your
mind."
You may have heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals. The acronym stands
for specific, measurable, attainable/agreed on, relevant,
and timely. My colleagues and I created an alternative formula.
Here it is.
• Your goal statement must always be succinctly worded
in the present tense and in the positive. Use action and emotional
words. Avoid negative words, future tenses, and comparisons
(better, some). Let me explain why your goal statement must
be positive and in the present tense. The powerhouse of enriched
learning is the subconscious mind. It is highly literal, has
no concept of time, and processes in images. If you use future
tenses, such as "I will...," then the subconscious mind will
not act on it since it only operates in the NOW. Since there
is no picture for a negative word (not, never, won't), then
it just ignores it. If you state, "I am not attracted to chocolate
cake," the subconscious only processes, "chocolate cake."
A better wording would be, "I love foods that contribute to
my body's health and vitality."
• It must be realistic and a slight stretch. Push yourself
just a bit.
• It must be specific, yet your assessment of your success
must be flexible. By specific, I mean avoid comparative words.
If you state, "I will be more disciplined in my work assignments,"
that is far too vague. To the subconscious, the word more
may be anywhere from .0000001 percent to 100 percent more.
So be specific. Celebrate each of your accomplishments, even
if it is not 100 percent of what you planned. In the book,
The One-Minute Manager, the authors counsel that if you're
off course, just do a course correction - don't jump ship!
Use any slip-ups as opportunities to learn.
• Your goal must be measurable. If you can't gauge how
well you're doing, how will you know that success is actually
occurring? Ensure that you pick a target date. It must also
be paced so that you can recognize your achievements at specific
points along the way. This is the step where you take your
overall goal and break it down into bite-sized modules. This
chunking-down can be by subject, time, place, or resource.
• Once your mini-goals are established, create action
plans for as many as you want. This is so important. Without
an action plan, all you have is a wish-list.
• Announce or share your goal with people who will be
supportive. This emotional investment puts your reputation
on the line.
• The last element is In Your Face. Write out your goals,
cut out magazine pictures, or draw them yourself. Paste and
post the images all over your world, including your bathroom
mirror. Keep it in your face and top-of-mind.
Most people don't set long-term goals, let alone write them
down. Some fear failure and criticism if they are less than
100 percent successful. Others don't know how to set goals.
The vast majority do not appreciate the value of setting goals.
The benefits of written goals are simple. They provide direction,
momentum, and motivation.
Brian Walsh PhD is a bestselling author and an international
speaker. He is a Hypnotherapist, an EFT Practitioner, an Acupuncture
Detoxification Specialist, a certified Print Coach, and a
Master Practitioner of Neurolinguistic Programming. His web
site is walshseminars.com.
Article Source: http://articles.directorygold.com
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