By Lori Hanson
How often do you take the time to think about what you want in life? Have you defined what being successful means to you? If you haven’t defined it yet, how do you expect to get there? One of the things I’ve learned from studying the brain, human behavior and our ability to create and reach our goals is that it is much simpler than we make it.
Think about the last time you set a goal you wanted to reach (or something you wanted to do). At first you got all excited from the prospect of reaching your goal and enjoying the end result, right? But then shortly afterwards your brain started to remind you of why you don’t have it. Why you failed before and may even introduce a list of all the reasons you won’t get there. Then the excitement fades and people give up.
But there are two ways to view your new goal and pave the road to success. There are also many reasons why you will succeed this time, even though you didn’t quite make it on previous attempts. No matter what happened in the past, it is no indicator of future behaviors and results. Why? Because you have the ability to change your thought, your focus and how you talk about succeeding at what you want to do.
Here are three very simple steps to getting yourself on the path to success:
1 – Define what you want to have, be, do or achieve. What will make you successful in this venture? If you want to save $2,500 for a vacation and you’ve never been successful saving money before, all you need is a plan to follow. (To save $2500 in one year, you’ll want to save $50 per week. Look at where you can save money, eat at home, make your own coffee, control impulse spending, only buy things you planned in advance to purchase. Shop with a grocery list and stick to the list.)
2 – Take at least ten minutes every day to visualize and feel what it will feel like to be on vacation. Feel the breeze, taste the meals at the wonderful restaurants, see the smile on your significant other’s face, hear the sounds of the ocean, or mountain, or snowmobile – whatever accompanies your dream vacation.
3 – Listen to what you way out loud and to yourself where saving money for this vacation is concerned. When you hear yourself telling the story and confirming how you can’t save money, change the thought and repeat an affirmation that will help you put it firmly in your brain. Something like this will work: “I am so excited about the $50 I am saving each week toward my vacation! I enjoy saving money and the satisfaction I receive from having a savings account.”
Remember it is important to paint the picture, tell the story and feel the result of achieving your goal every day like you’ve already achieved it! Spend time on the internet and map out things you’ll do, where you’ll stay and the adventures you’ll enjoy while on your vacation. Make it real, be consistent, practice persistentance and you’ll succeed in no time.
©2014
