There is still time. So what has to happen? The last post focused on recognizing hidden opportunities. This one follows up with a thought provoking question. Questions can be a powerful tool for activating your internal GPS, your Global Positioning System for achieving success.
- The first question sets your destination.
- The rest lock-in the most direct path, providing detailed directions,
- and just like using the GPS in your vehicle, questions provide ongoing feedback, a way of checking and adjusting your course from time to time.
So the question is …
What has to happen for 2010 to be your best year yet?
When was the last time you asked yourself a question like that and then thought deeply about your answer?
We may set goals, measure certain activities, even block time for specific tasks. Yet few of us take the time for deep thought about what it will take to get there. (Deep thought is the hallmark of experts.)
If you can, take a minute now and think about how you would answer the question. What comes to mind? Write your answer down. Seeing it on paper is often an easier way of discovering the deeper meaning behind your words.
- Is what has to happen something you’ll do, an activity or behaviour?
- Is it a feeling or quality, like having more confidence, more energy or less stress?
- Is there a hidden belief in what you wrote? About yourself, the people in your life or your business environment?
- Is what has to happen within your own control? Something you can ‘do, or not do’ as Yoda would say.
- If not, can you break it into smaller bites or contributing elements that you can control.
- When and where will this be happening? How often? Is it something you’ll do every day? Once or twice a week? Monthly?
When you think about it logically and rationally, you probably already have the knowledge, skills and experience required. You know what to do and how to do it, right? And you may even know people who’ve achieved the results you want with less knowledge, fewer skills?
So … what are your sticking points?
What could possibly prevent you from doing what you know?
- Distractions, lack of focus?
- Lack of confidence during critical activities?
- Competing priorities and time pressures?
- Feeling overwhelmed?
‘Sticking points’ whatever you call them, drain your energy.
It’s like driving with one foot on the accelerator and one foot on the brake. It can feel like you’re spinning your wheels, working longer and harder just to stay in place.
So the question is, what can you do starting now, that will begin moving you through those sticking points and towards your best year yet?
You can clear some sticking points using conscious, logical left brain thinking. For more see the note below.1
What about your deeper power?
There is another option, a quicker and some would say easier way of clear sticking points – by harnessing the power of your unconscious mind and right brain processing.
It’s also more fun. Because your unconscious mind is a wizard at handling competing priorities, reducing stress and handling hot button situations that can hijack your emotions and behaviour.
So if the idea of harnessing the power of your own mind sounds interesting, check out the NLP trainers in your area or look for someone offering Performance Breakthrough Coaching process.
1 Neuroscience has demonstrated that as much as 95% of our decisions, our emotions and what we do, is controlled by the unconscious mind, that we simply use our conscious mind to justify decisions made outside of conscious awareness.
A thought from that perennial font of wisdom …
“The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.” Anon
And one more …
“It has taken a long time for us to reach the understanding that much of what we do is not under conscious control, even though we thought that it was.”
Michael Gazzaniga, neuroscientist and author of Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Different
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