Why You Must Stop Setting Goals

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.

maya@massageyourmind.com

---

Creativity Management ? Short Term Goal Setting

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this... Read More

Cultivating Belief in Your Goals

The Belief That You Can Do It and more importantly, That You Will!First, You must choose one goal and commit to it's achievement. It seems that this... Read More

Setting Goals for Success

"In any and every given moment of your life, you are either in command of yourself? or you are being commanded." -Guy Finley, AuthorIt pays to learn,... Read More

If You Cant See Your Way to Completing Your Goal, Its Time to Check Your Vision

Have you been having trouble achieving a specific goal? Are you allowing other less important things to get in the way of accomplishing what you really want?... Read More

Conquering Goals: The Battle Plan

"To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe."(Anatole France) While these three items define success, without all... Read More

Actual Achievement Part 2

In Part 1 I started the discussion on what to focus on in pursuit of a 'time sensitive' goal, a goal you want to achieve right NOW,... Read More

Giving Up Too Soon

So you feel beaten up and bruised and you're ready to quit. You have no support system or the one you have is pathetically inadequate for the... Read More

The Influence of People Who Surround You

It is known that the human body sends out vibrations: some are positive, while others are negative. We have orbits formed by people who surround us and... Read More

Vision Means Passion - Whats Yours?

Interestingly, the word vision can be interchangeable with the word passion.But small business owners often forget to promote the true reason for being in business. They've lost... Read More

Creating Your Vision for Your Business, Career, and Life

Many people go through their daily lives feeling overwhelmed. There are so many things to do and there never seems to be enough time or energy to... Read More

Everyone Needs a BAG (Big Audacious Goal)

A Big Audacious Goal (BAG) is a clear and compelling catalyst that serves as a focal point for effort. Unlike smaller goals, the BAG is something that... Read More

Pretend Interest and Apathy... What To Do About Them!

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary "apathy is defined as the following: lack of emotion; lack of interest; indifference".Wow, that's pretty depressing. However, look around you. Don't many of... Read More

How to Replace Bad Habits with Good Ones: The Science of ?Habit Management?

Few things are more difficult than kicking bad habits or developing more positive ones. But it is definitely worth the effort. Bad habits like smoking, overeating or... Read More

Motivation and Setting Your Goals

Easy Steps for Goal SettingGoal setting is the true secret to success in any area of life. Setting your goals may seem simple, achieving them usually is... Read More

Focus

To have a goal is like having a road map. It shows you where to go, and where not to go. Would you begin a trip to... Read More

Achieving Elusive Goals

Everyone has something in their life that they would like to change. Some really big goals include overcoming addiction, achieving and sustaining weight loss, attaining inner peace,... Read More

To Reach Goals: Bypass Resistance & Gather Assistance

To reach goals, consider this illustration: If you see roadblocks up ahead on a journey you take a diversion. No one in their right mind would just... Read More

Writing Your Personal Vision/Mission Statement

I recently spent some time revising my personal vision/mission statement for my coaching practice. While doing this, it occurred to me that the vision I have for... Read More

How To Keep Your Resolutions and Reach Your Goals

Another year has flown by and here you are at the beginning of another year. This is a time when many people assess their life and make... Read More

Goal Setting or How Being SMART Isnt Always the Right Objective

Over the years much has been written on the subject of goal setting with most conventional wisdom coming down in favour of the SMART objective setting process.SMART... Read More

Obtaining Your Desires

For one to achieve their goals or obtain their desires, one must know their goals and desires in the first place. The simple task of writing down... Read More

Attain Instant Results With Goal Setting Tools

Your path to the successful accomplishment of your goals can be very thorny. Ups and downs, hardships and difficulties are inevitable components of success. Besides, difficulties add... Read More

Setting Goals for Success

"In any and every given moment of your life, you are either in command of yourself? or you are being commanded."-Guy Finley, AuthorIt pays to learn, especially... Read More

Halftime: Re-evaluating Yearly Goals

Note: This article was originally written at mid year so it is good reminder around June but the principles are applicable anytime.In a sporting event, the players... Read More

10 Ways To Hold Your Focus and Get Your Goals

Hocus, Pocus, it's all about focus. That's the real magic of goals!'Once set, the final thing to do is to make our goals visible. Put our written... Read More

Want to Learn Something New Today?

How many times do you say, "Gee, I wish I had of learned...?" How often do you avoid new tasks simply because they are out of your... Read More