| Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, "I find it | | | | behaviors through conscious effort), are quickly lost |
| fascinating that most people plan their vacations with | | | | when you slip back to your old ways. |
| better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps it's | | | | What you repeat over and over again is programmed |
| because escape is easier than change." | | | | into the subconscious mind and begins to take root. On |
| Success psychologists say that 95% - 97% of the | | | | a practical level, this means RE-writing your goals |
| people in the world do NOT have written goals and fail, | | | | everyday and thinking about them in positive terms |
| while 3-5% have written goals and succeed. | | | | and in mental pictures, every day, repeatedly until the |
| If these statistics are correct, then Mr Rohn's | | | | habit is formed and turned over to "auto-piliot." |
| observation really IS quite fascinating isn't it? | | | | In 1956, when Earl Nightingale wrote "The Strangest |
| Unfortunately for most people, the odds for success | | | | Secret is that we become what we think about most |
| are actually even lower, because out of the few | | | | of the time," we didnt know what we know now |
| people who do set goals, most don't take goal setting | | | | about the brain. |
| seriously, they don't do it scientifically and they only do | | | | Nevetheless, Earl was right. |
| it once a year. | | | | You don't change your body by trying to change your |
| Goal setting is so important, that I always teach goal | | | | body. You change your body by creating new habitual |
| setting and mind dynamics first, and only THEN, do I | | | | patterns of thinking and visualizing. |
| teach nutrition and training second. | | | | Trying to force new behaviors with willpower while |
| It doesnt matter how much you know about nutrition or | | | | continuing with your old ways of thinking will always fail |
| exercise. Until specialized fitness knowledge is linked | | | | because your automatic behavior is mostly under |
| with goals and directions, the knowledge is useless and | | | | non-conscious control. |
| you won't accomplish very much or keep the changes | | | | Its not the resolution you set once... its the goals |
| long term. | | | | (mental thoughts and images) you focus on all day long |
| In fact, I devoted the entire first chapter of my book, | | | | that create the long term (and automatic) behavioral |
| Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, to the subject of goals | | | | change... when you change your behaviors, you |
| and constructive "mind programming" for successful, | | | | change your body and your life... |
| permanent behavior change. | | | | SCIENTIFIC GOAL SETTING TIP #2: Emotion is a |
| I've also studied neuro linguistic programming (NLP) for | | | | goal-turbocharger |
| many years and more recently spent many months | | | | Is there any way around this tedious process of |
| researching the latest information about neuroscience | | | | "mental programming" through repetition? Not really. |
| to see just how much of the traditional self help and | | | | The fields of NLP and hypnosis have given us some |
| goal setting wisdom is actually backed by brain | | | | tools for creating more rapid changes, but ultimately |
| research. | | | | you have to begin to "run your own brain" and change |
| As you start thinking about your goals for 2007 right | | | | your habitual way of thinking. No one else can do it for |
| Now, I'd like to help you start the year off right by | | | | you and there's no way around it.there is however, a |
| sharing two very valuable, science based tips on | | | | scientifically proven way to to speed up the process |
| acheiving your goals: | | | | and that is with the use of strong emotion. |
| SCIENTIFIC GOAL SETTING TIP #1: Repetition is an | | | | Since modern imaging technology can see activity in |
| effective way to "plant" a goal in the non-conscious | | | | the brain and scientists have located the seat of |
| mind | | | | emotions in the brain, we know that the strength and |
| Why don't most resolutions stick? Psychology and | | | | number of neural connections associated with a |
| neuroscience today are giving us the answers. | | | | thought or behavior are increased when you're in a |
| Thanks to new technologies in brain imaging, such as | | | | highly emotional state. |
| PET scans, SPECT scans and functional MRI's, we | | | | The neuron connections are also stronger, longer |
| can now actually see your thoughts as | | | | lasting and it takes longer to lose a neural connection |
| electrochemical impulses and we can see the | | | | when it was formed with great emotion. |
| formation of new neural connections in real time right | | | | With this knowledge, we see another reason why |
| before our eyes. | | | | new years resolutions fail: They are set casually with |
| We can also see where, geographically, in your brain, a | | | | no emotion and no strong emotional "reason why" that |
| particular type of thought is occuring.most importantly, | | | | gives you the leverage to you need to make a |
| we can see how long it takes to form strong neural | | | | change permanent. |
| patterns and what types of stimuli cause the patterns | | | | On January 1st, you may think you're setting "real" |
| to form more quickly | | | | goals, but if you're like most people, you're not only |
| Here's what we've discovered: | | | | doing it a mere once a year and then losing focus, |
| Setting a goal once is a conscious activity. Willpower is | | | | you're also likely to be making flimsy, wishy-washy, |
| also a conscious activity. But research has shown that | | | | emotion-less "resolutions." |
| at least 5/6 of your brain power is in the non | | | | Zig Ziglar once said that, "A goal casually set and lightly |
| conscious mind and that the information and | | | | taken will be freely abandoned at the first obstacle." |
| instructions that reach the non conscious mind are | | | | You might want to back up and read that quote again, |
| responsible for your automatic behavior. | | | | maybe even write it down or print it out, because this |
| Some pyschologists believe that 95% of our behaviors | | | | one hits the bull's-eye! |
| are unconscious and automatic... more commonly | | | | This truly explains why New Year's resolutions almost |
| known as habits. | | | | never work, and why so few people can keep off the |
| Long term behavior changes don't take place when | | | | pounds after they get rid of them. |
| you set goals one time as with most new years | | | | Goal setting should not be casual or lightly taken. Goal |
| resolutions. There's an old saying in "self help" circles | | | | setting is an important and serious matter. This is not a |
| that it takes at least 21-30 days to form a habit. This | | | | game - this is your life, and you only have one life to |
| has now been proven to be fairly accurate on a | | | | live. |
| neurological basis. | | | | Goal setting is also not a one time event - it is an |
| New neural patterns begin to form only after they've | | | | ongoing process of literally "re-wiring your brain." With |
| been repeated enough times. They continue to | | | | the discovery of brain plasticity, we now know that this |
| strengthen with further repetition. If you make | | | | is science fact, not self-help fiction. |
| resolutions on January 1st and you don't continue to | | | | Make the time to set REAL goals, today! Take it |
| repeat and reinforce your desire for those "goals," no | | | | seriously, do it scientifically, re-write your goals every |
| new neural connection is formed, no new habits are | | | | day, think about them constantly, and then take |
| formed, no new behaviors are formed.... | | | | massive action |
| Your resolutions wither away and die and any results | | | | Do it and this will be the most successful year of your |
| obtained through willpower (trying to force the new | | | | life! |