having-goalsSo to start this new year, I-along with 60% of other Americans- have goals we want to AT LEAST start 2014 with.

So why is it that only 8% of us actually succeed with these resolutions/goals?

I am one who likes to try to find a new way to do something if the ‘old way’ doesn’t seem to work well. So I thought that backing up and looking at what goals are all about might help.

Goals are about habits. To reach a goal you need to create new habits or adjust existing habits or just delete a habit altogether to achieve said goal.

When you are talking about habits, you are talking about behaviors. When talking about behaviors, you are ultimately talking about the way your brain is wired.

When you sit back and think about it, you accomplish goals all day-every day-most of them unconsciously‎. Brushing your teeth, walking the dog and such are second nature to you. And you know the consequences of not doing them.

You brain is right now wired with millions of habits no matter what the origin or motivation of the habit was. So adding or subtracting a behavior requires a rewiring of the brain. This is because your brain is filled with neural pathways(the wires) which are formed by your oldest habits and memories. Additionally, each neural pathway is strengthened every time you repeat an action.

So this is where it gets interesting. Since this is the case, your unconscious brain is literally fighting with you to NOT make new pathways. Your brain is happy with the pathways it has already got. Your best goal setting intentions has a serious battle on its hands!

So what it takes is repetition, as your brain responds well once you do a task repeatedly. Your brain has what is called neuroplasticity. This essentially means you have the ability to create NEW neuropathways and grooves  as long as you go about it properly. This means undertaking small tasks toward your specific goal so that your brain will create new pathways itself in small bits.

To support this, I will keep this article short by giving you a few points for achieving goals every few days. I will part with this:

  • Break down a goal into manageable pieces.
  • Perfect these actions one at a time
  • Repeat daily for a few minutes until the action seems like second nature
  • Making your action similar to an existing habit will help in reinforcement
  • Increase the time practicing this action over several weeks
  • Have a system of accountability and rewards

From LiveBoldandbloom.com website

 

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