There's a well-known quote that, "We become what we think
about all day long."
The truth is that most human behavior reflects our thinking.
If I think we've met before, I'm likely to greet you
differently than I would greet a stranger, even if I've got
you confused with someone else. The reality doesn't matter!
If I think I recognize you, I'm likely to behave as if we
are acquainted.
Similarly, our emotions also result from our thinking. If I
think my favorite team has lost the big game, I'm going to
be sad. If I think they lost, the reality that they won in
the final seconds does not matter! What I believe will
determine my behavior and feelings until I learn the truth--
and then my behavior and my emotions change in an instant!
What we think about largely determines who we are, how we
feel, and (most importantly) what we do.
This is the time of year to set goals, or New Year's
Resolutions. As long-time subscribers know, I'm all in favor
of goals! I believe in goal-setting. I've written a couple
books about how to set powerful goals. I take my goals
seriously and spend many hours reviewing last year's results
and then carefully framing my targets for the new year.
Goals work!
Sometimes, just selecting goals and writing them down is all
it takes to create significant progress. Thousands of people
have written down a list of goals, set it aside and even
"forgotten about them" until they discover months later that
most of their goals have been achieved!
Choosing your goals and writing them down is powerful!
But, thinking about your goals is far more powerful. "We
become what we think about all day long."
I'm writing a book on Self-Directed Evolution. The idea is
that since we are constantly changing and growing, learning
new ideas and establishing new habits, we should use this to
our advantage.
You are, in essence, becoming a new person all the time.
Change--evolution--is inevitable. As we grow, hopefully we
grow wiser. As we learn new things, hopefully our behavior
and our values reflect the very best of our new skills. This
is good!
Why not use this to your advantage?
A huge key to achieving your goals in 2012 is to be
extremely clear about what you want, write it down, and then
think about it every day, all day long.
The brain is a goal-achieving mechanism. It is designed to
automatically search for the things that make a difference
in our lives.
We've all had the experience of being pre-occupied with
something and then being astonished when we "just happen" to
notice it all around us. Passionate golfers notice signs to
golf courses along the road, signs that other people in the
car never see.
Shortly after finding out they are expecting a baby, almost
every couple is amazed at the number of pregnant women all
around them!
The brain notices things that interest it. When it's
focused, the brain automatically notices new information and
new opportunities. It automatically takes advantage of new
ideas, new possibilities and new solutions.
You are going to change and grow in 2012. You will learn new
things. You will be inundated with information, websites,
news and advertisements. The direction and quality of your
life will be influenced by all these "data points." Your job
is to choose, in advance, the ones that will have the MOST
influence on you.
Who do you want to become in 2012? Think about it!
What do you want to learn in 2012? Think about it!
What do you want to have in 2012? Think about it!
What do you want to do or achieve in 2012? Think about it!
You become what you think about all day long.
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