Why You Must Stop Setting Goals

My goal in life is to have no goals. They get in the way nof true progress. nnPlenty of successful people swear by goal setting. nThey're praising the wrong behavior. Brain research ntells us that the goals don't matter--it's the intention nthat gets us where we want to go. nnIntentions and goals are not the same. Goals tend to nbe arbitrary and number-oriented, such as the number nof pounds lost, amount of money earned, number of nhours spent in the gym, number of new clients nintroduced or new products developed. Intentions are nbig-picture statements about what fulfills you. It's a nlittle harder to measure an intention, but the results are nmore meaningful. nnLet's say you want to lose 20 pounds. How will you nfeel when you do that? What will your life be like if you nare 20 pounds lighter? Establishing an intention nrequires recognizing what will satisfy you.nnYou want to lose weight so that you will feel healthy, nstrong, fit, confident, attractive, and sexy. The nnumber on the scale isn't what matters most--it's how nyou feel each day. nnHere's a weight loss goal: I will lose 20 pounds in five nmonths. nnHere's an intention: I feel strong, healthy, fit, nconfident, attractive and sexy. nnThe problem with typical goals is that we tend to get nbogged down by our "even though" statements. We ntell ourselves that we are going to lose 20 pounds EVEN nTHOUGH 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 neven begin! nnHere's a thought: Why not create an intention that will nget your brain to work for you instead of against you?nnnIntentions allow us to picture ourselves--and how we'll nfeel--when we are successful. There's no room for nfailure in the picture. We focus on the positive and npowerful feelings we'll have. nnIntentions are always stated in present tense, as nthough you are already where you want to be. Instead nof saying, "I will be strong, fit, healthy, etc.", you nsay, "I feel strong, fit, healthy, etc." What seems like na small semantic difference is a huge shift in our brains. nnThe latest brain studies suggest that the most neffective way to change our beliefs is to create a nmental story of success. We need to picture ourselves nas we want to be, and we need to talk about it. Here's nthe basic formula: See it, say it, hear it. nnOur unconscious brain sees everything in pictures. It ndoes not filter images based on what our conscious nmind considers true, likely or possible. It literally does nnot distinguish between reality and fantasy. Think of nthe nonsensical dreams you've had! nnLanguage is most fully processed in the brain when nthere is a visualized image to go along with it. These nimages and words become linked to create our "truth"--nat least, according to our brains. And that's where it nmatters most. nnSay it out loud, and you're engaging your aural learning nskills as well. nnBy intentionally creating new images through nvisualization, we literally create our own version of nreality, and as you've probably learned by now, we ntend to live in whatever reality we construct. Our npotential is limited only by the mental images we nchoose to develop and store. It's that simple--and that nprofound. nnStop setting goals, and start creating intentions.nThe secret is to include ALL of these steps:nn*SEE yourself in the circumstances you desire. Picture it perfectly.nn*Craft a one-paragraph story that you would like to be ntrue, and SAY it in present tense, as though you are ndescribing your life right now. nn*Repeat, repeat, repeat. Demand to HEAR that nsame story every night before you go to sleep. nnWhat's your intention? Focus on feelings, not numbers. nPicture it, and write it down. Repeat it to yourself nuntil it becomes familiar and beloved--complete with nfavorite parts, great pictures, and a happy ending.nnStop pushing toward goals and start being pulled by nyour intentions. Let your brain go to work for you.nnSee it, say it, hear it. You'll never need another goal! n