Thread by @theurbanismguy

(1/n) This thread is a #summary of the #book "Write it down and make it happen" by Henriette Anne Klauser

#habits #productivity #motivation #neuroplasticity

(2/n) A lot of people only have vague ideas about what they really want. They desire more money, a better job, someone to love or the chance to travel somewhere exotic.
You may have similar desires of your own. But if you want to make them a reality, you need to be precise.

3/n So rather than saying “I want money,” say, “I want exactly enough money to open a restaurant.” And when it comes to love, figure out exactly what you’re looking for. Maybe it’s someone who is funny, kind and doesn’t mind that you don’t want to have kids.

4/n Being so specific might sound extreme, but if you want to reach your goals and not veer off course, you need to know exactly what it is you want.
Once you’re clear on your goals, write them down on paper.

5/n When you set concrete goals for yourself, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. But you may harbor some doubts, so let’s take a closer look at the power of pen and paper.

6/n See if this sounds familiar: your mother calls to say she’s bought a new car – let’s say it’s a silver Toyota Yaris – which surprises you since you’ve never heard of this car before.

7/n The next day, however, you start to see this car everywhere you go, and many of them are silver, too! How is this possible?
This is the magic of your brain's filtering system, known as the Reticular Activating System, or RAS.

8/n The RAS is what allows us to sharpen our attention, and it can be primed to notice, or not notice, certain things.

9/n This is what that allows you to hear when your name is mentioned across the room at a loud party. When this happens your ears will perk up and you’ll find yourself suddenly being able to overhear a conversation that was mere background noise just seconds earlier.

10/n What’s more, the RAS can also help you achieve your goals. When you write those clearly defined goals on paper, you’ll prime your brain to begin its unconscious work on the project.

11/n After you write down your goals, your RAS filter will constantly be on the lookout for messages or information that will help your quest.

12/n So, after writing down that you want enough money to open a restaurant, you’ll be primed to overhear someone at a party who says they have a history of investing in restaurants. Otherwise you never would have noticed.

13/n The RAS is a great example of how unconscious activities in our brain help us realize our dreams.

14/n we all also have unconscious fears, which are often tied to our goals, like big obstacles. However, by doing the same thing and writing these fears down on paper, you can help yourself recognize and conquer what stands in your way.

15/n For aspiring writers, the biggest obstacle is often the fear of being rejected by a publisher.Of course, the fear of rejection and criticism isn’t isolated to writers. Many of us share those fears, and they’re a primary reason we end up pushing our dreams aside.

16/n When fear goes unacknowledged, it sits in the gut, where it festers and acts like a spell that keeps you from being creative or having confidence in your power to follow through with your ideas.

17/n Writing down your fears can break this spell, but again, you have to be as precise as possible so that you become conscious of these fears and they gradually lose their power over you.

18/n Once you’ve identified your fears, you can move on to dealing with the worries and concerns that might accompany them.
One of the best ways to get rid of worries is to express them through a technique called rapidwriting.

19/n As the name suggests, rapidwriting involves quick, nonstop writing as way to power through a problem and work through worries, anger or issues that might be causing a mental block. In this technique, you never stop to look back at what you’ve written and just keep going.

20/n Your first sentence might be something like, “I don't know what to write and think this is stupid . . .” But a few sentences later you’ll likely be pouring your heart onto the page.

21/n After writing a few pages and releasing all the bottled-up negativity, the solution will start to present itself clearly.

22/n It might sound counterintuitive, but staying on top of your goals also means being flexible. when life inevitably throws something unexpected your way, you can remain focused and stay on track.

23/n One of the best motivators to help you achieve your goals is to successfully reach one of them, and then use the resulting psychological boost to your advantage.
The most obvious strategy is to start out with small goals and work your way up to the biggest one.

24/n The best part is, the goals don’t have to be related at all. The momentum from completing one goal will still help you conquer another, even if it is completely unrelated.

25/n Another way to boost the likelihood of reaching a goal is to align your desires with a greater good, such that they’re not purely about personal gain.

26/n This doesn’t have to mean changing your goals, but rather thinking of ways that meeting a personal goal can put you in a position to benefit your community or society as a whole.

27/n For example, say your goal is to publish a novel. Instead of making that the final goal, add to it by promising to donate a portion of your profits to your favorite charity.

28/n By adding this sense of altruism, you’re adding a big motivator, because now you’re no longer the only one who will miss out on the rewards if you don’t follow through with your plans.

29/n Start your day off by writing down your intent.
Take some quiet time at the beginning of your day to write down what you’d like to accomplish in the hours ahead. This is not for practical stuff like doing the laundry or going shopping.

30/30 It’s to provide emotional and spiritual guidance for the day, such as “being the best mother I can be.” Just writing your intent down will keep you feeling grateful and positive throughout the day.