Last night I was sitting on the patio of a local restaurant at an outdoor mall when I saw what looked like a grown man with a zombie horse head pass right by me. It gave me pause until I realized that there were other adults parading in costumes. Call me slow but it finally dawned on me that it was Halloween weekend. Before the night was over, I saw a poor imitation of the Joker, a really impressive Wonder Woman, a wannabe Thor and the unforgettable image of a man in a hospital gown with his backside exposed and stuffed like a muffin on steroids.
I always speculate why people choose the costumes they do; is it for shock value, is the costume a hero of theirs, or do they aspire to be someone other than who they are?
Since Halloween has come and gone, I’m obviously not asking you what you want to be for Halloween, but I am very curious and would like to know,
“How do you want to show up for 2018?”
If there is one thing that history has taught me, it’s that once Halloween is over, New Year’s Day is literally a mere two weeks away. Am I the only one who feels like November and December shift gears and travel at the speed of light?
Starting in November we all go through great lengths to prepare for the holidays. But how much preparation are you putting into your personal goals? You certainly don’t forget to plan for your Holiday feasts and celebrations complete with every food imaginable. But what are you doing on a daily basis to unlock your potential?
Before you know it, New Year’s Day arrives and most people are adamant to keep their New Year’s Resolutions which they have put absolutely little to no planning into. They falsely think that when the clock strikes midnight, voila something is going to magically be different in their lives.
New Year’s Resolution Failure Rate
Did you know that according to U.S. News, 80% of all New Year’s Resolutions fail by the second week of February?
You may wonder why I’m sounding so dismal and what in the world would prompt me to bring up the subject of New Year’s Resolutions in October. It’s because I care about what you want to become in 2018, not what you want to do but what you want to become. I’ll ask you again,
“How you want to show up for 2018?”
If you don’t prepare now for the New Year, it will most likely creep up on you like a thief in the night. It will take you by surprise and you could find yourself in that group of 80% of people who hang up their goals by the second week of February.
Powerful Tools
I am not a New Year’s Resolution person; never have been. My intention is to plant some seeds for you to consider before the holidays even hit. Look at this like a warmup; your precursor to goal setting which will significantly help increase your chances of achieving those goals.
The most important thing you must do before you even think about setting goals is to take a personal assessment of where you are and start building your goal setting muscles; the muscles of discipline, perseverance and determination so you can stay in the game long enough to achieve your goals.
Goal setting is a skill you can learn and goal achieving is a process you can strengthen. There really is a magic weapon to your success. God has placed in each one of us six powerful tools; our 6 Intellectual Faculties. Let’s start by looking at them and what you need to do to exercise your mind muscles so as to increase your chances for success.
Your 6 Intellectual Faculties that Lead to Goal Achievement
Imagination
Imagination is probably the most powerful of all the faculties. Nothing has ever been created that was not first imagined. The magical ability of imagination is inside all of us. It helps you “see” future possibilities in images and mental pictures. Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, and the Wright brothers are great examples of people who used this faculty to create things they had only seen in their mind’s eye.
Intuition
Intuition is your inner wisdom – your inner knowing. Although many people confuse intuition with a 6th sense, it is one of your mental faculties. It is that gut feeling you get that is trying to tell you something. It’s the ability to understand a situation or thought instinctively.
Perception
Perception is your personal point of view – the old half empty half full analogy. Perception is what you believe to be true; it’s your belief system and it determines your attitude.
Memory
Memory is your historical past; it is retaining past experiences. You can use this memory muscle to your advantage but unfortunately many people dwell on past mistakes rather than past successes and make decisions based on these mistakes. This is how self-limiting beliefs are created.
Reasoning
Reasoning is an essential part of the mind. It is the logical faculty that allows you to think and plan. Reasoning makes sense of things and uses logic to draw conclusions. Your reasoning capabilities must be stretched in order for you to think beyond your current thinking.
Will
Will is the ability to laser focus on an idea or project – to concentrate. Your will includes self-discipline and willpower. This is a very powerful faculty for staying in the game and goal achievement.
Knowing that you have these 6 tools, how can you use them to help you make the changes you want? The first thing you must ask yourself is a question I heard posed to an audience by Jim Cathcart,
“How would the person I’d like to be, do the things I’m about to do?”
Somewhere deep inside you know the person you were designed to be. Imagine the person you want to be in the future and start doing the things he/she would do now.
Ways to Start Exercising Your Powerful Mind Muscles:
Imagination: What would you love to be, to do, and to have 6 months from now? Create a mental model of it.
Intuition: What is your gut telling you about your goals, how well do you listen to it?
Memory: What positive things have you accomplished in your past that can help you in setting new goals?
Reasoning: To create a mindset shift, you must change your belief system. Do you have a fixed or growth mindset? What are some opportunities in front of you that you have not seen before?
Perception: What are some flaws in your perception? Do you have a positive or a negative slant to your views?
Will: How can you develop your inner strength to take action and execute on a goal even when faced with obstacles?
If you’re setting goals based on your current reasonings; it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to produce something beyond what you are currently producing.
Once your mind is mastered, your performance will be as well. Beliefs drive your feelings which drive your decisions which drive your actions which drive your results. Utilizing all of your intellectual faculties increases your chances of developing an invincible mindset, unlocking your potential, and achieving your goals.
Halloween has come and gone, the New Year is around the corner. You now know that you have the potential to change anything you want in life. But will you?
You can don any costume you choose, how do you want to show up for 2018?
You can step forward into growth or backwards into safety.
– Abraham Maslow
Rita helps her clients:
• Embrace their true potential
• Change their limiting beliefs/thoughts
• Create Purpose
• Live Empowered, Confident, and Successful Lives
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