Use your Old Brain to Keep you on Track

Already forgot your New Years Goals? 

This past week I was talking to a client about getting organized to achieve the larger projects and goals for this year. As we talked I realized how so many of us have these large goals or projects that we have all the intention in the world to complete. Somehow, as the months go on and we move further from Jan 1, they seem to get lost in the shuffle of what we are working on in the moment. This is true both at work and at home.

What we Know about Goal Setting

What we do know about goal setting is that in addition to making them SMART, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound. We need to make them SMARTER and add Exciting, and Reviewed.  What goal won’t go by the waste side if it isn’t motivating (exciting) and reviewed or measured periodically? 

One key way of ensuring this happens is to make it visible. Borrowing from the Vision Board which tends to inspire us to live our dreams, create a Project Wall with the primary purpose of reminding yourself to keep on going after what you said you wanted to achieve this year.

 What we Don't Know about Goal Setting, but should

Posting your major Goals and Projects within eyesight takes into account the science behind the law of attraction; that what we attract into our lives is what we pay attention to. To take this further, the latest in neuroscience shows that at the base of the brain (the reticular activating system (RAS) or otherwise known as the “old brain,” can be used to focus on stimuli in your environment that resonates with your goal. The more you find like-minded stimuli, the more you attract what you need and the more progress you make on your goals. Redirecting this “Old Brain, “ is a simple way to attend to daily things that can help you achieve your goal. It is then your job to take action on those opportunities. 

Take the time to Post your Major goals and let your “Old Brain,” help you move forward.

Step 1: Divide your goals /projects into categories: work projects, creative projects, and home projects. Choose 3 different colored index cards to represent each category.

Step 2: Write each goal on the appropriate colored index card in large print visible from a distant

Step 3: Tack or tape the cards on the wall or a board  (right above your computer is a great place)

Step 4: On smaller post-it notes, write the next phase actions that needed to take place for each project

Step 5: As each action is completed take off the Post-It note and replace it with a new action.

Keeping these large project goals visible is key to moving things forward one step at a time.  

“Every journey started with one small step.”