Ok so we're still in the science realm of things, but don't you forget that I'll always keep it cool with a healthy drink of soulful tidbits.
We're talkin' about the science of neural plasticity and how your brain can be rewired to change (no surgery required!). We're also talking about how that brain of yours is biased to look for what's negative (called Negativity Bias). This, of course, can influence your motivation to achieve goals and that's where my jaw drops - every time - with fascination.
In order to work with your brain to achieve your goals, we need to begin with dreaming.
Get clear on the question of "what do I want?" and then write exactly what you desire in life OK?
Now, because we are wired to look for the negative, we tend to avoid changing our desires into actual goals. Why? Because goals require work and we're more likely to see what we'll lose when we do that work, verses what we'll gain when our desire is manifested.
So to get beyond the dreaming step we have to write our desire into a goal. Go ahead and do that.
(Side note: I used to avoid the word "goal" because I thought it was too intense. I felt too much pressure to do it when I called it a goal, so I'd call it an "intention" instead. Today I can see that that was a way to back out of something I really wanted because of fear.)
With your goal in mind, check in on all the mind stories that arise around it, (such as "I'm not skilled enough" or "I'll never be able to do this") and STOP THEM. This is called negative self talk and it's just not helpful. Instead of fixating on these things, consider what you have learned and how you might apply that in the future.
How you talk to yourself about goals plays a large role in IF you will manifest them.
When you find yourself interpreting your goal in a negative way, or only focusing on the challenging aspect of the situation (ex: "I don't have enough time"), look for ways to reframe it in a more positive light. This doesn’t mean ignoring potential dangers or wearing rose-colored glasses— no spiritual bypassing for us! It simply means refocusing so that you give equal weight to good aspects of it.
One of my favourite practices is something I call a "Pattern Interrupt" and it works like this:
When I find myself ruminating on things, I do a little somethin' that'll shake things up. Sometimes this means hanging upside down off the couch, and other times it means a solo dance party (here's a great song I use for the occasion) but basically, you want to STOP those thoughts by way of changing your environment or your body position in a major way.
One last simple yet profound way we can rewire our brains and work in the technical terminology of "neural plasticity" is gratitude. Gratitude has us savouring the positive moments and because it takes more for positive experiences to be remembered than negative, it's important to give extra attention to that sweet stuff.
What happens if we don't rewire our brains?
Well darlin'... life simply stays exactly as it is and your deep personal evolution is likely paused. Sure, you can still get healthier and stronger and even tend a better garden, but it's unlikely you'll experience major moments of growth and even, moments of feeling deeply connected to Why-The-Heck-You're-Here-Doing-This-Work-In-The-First-Place (aka The Great Mystery / God / Goddess / The One / Source / The Divine).
And if you're interested in diving into more of this and what it can mean for your personal life, your relationships and your inner aliveness, check out my 3 month Soul Coaching Program for women called Unleash Your Legacy. In it, we completely rewire your brain, do a soul retrieval, find your true calling, and step into your future in a way you might’ve never thought possible.
