Overview 

We may have noticed, in the past, that as we approach the achievement of a goal, we suddenly don’t seem as driven to complete it. The energy and excitement we had at the beginning seems to have disappeared. There is a logical reason for this, and we have already learned a part of that reason. It has to do with that original gap we created when we first set the goal. 

Objectives 

By the end of this unit, I will be able to: 

• describe what happens in my mind as I approach my goals. 
• provide examples of what happened in the past when I was about to reach my goals. 
• design what I intend to do in the future, to keep me on track to fully achieve my goals. 

Key Points 

• When we set goals, we create a gap between current reality and the vision of what we want. We have the choice to move toward the goal, or go back to what is normal for us. The Creative Subconscious doesn’t care. It only cares about the strongest picture.
• As we approach our goals, the gap between current reality and the vision gets smaller. With the gap getting smaller, our Creative Subconscious releases less and less energy, creativity and awareness. With the goal so close to being current reality, we begin to lose interest in finalizing it. We almost have to drag ourselves to the finish line.
• In order to maintain our energy and ideas, we want to re-set through our goals to the next goal, or goals, on our path. This keeps the drive, energy and creativity up and our awareness expanded to achieve what comes next. We constantly move forward, toward greater fulfillment of our potential.
• When we compare where we are today, with where we started, we can cause the same shut-down of energy, creativity and awareness. Looking back and comparing, we close the gap and have no drive to move forward any longer. We want to compare ourselves from where we are today to where we want to be. That keeps the gap open and our movement going forward.
• It is OK to not set another goal. We don’t need to keep ourselves in constant motion. We can take a break and give ourselves a chance to enjoy the fruits of our labors. Relaxation can be a goal in itself, especially if we are feeling a bit overwhelmed. But, let’s do it by intent and not by neglect, because we forgot to set any new goals. 

Key Concepts 

Creative Subconscious – the source of mental processes that leads to ideas, solutions, artistic forms, new or novel concepts and theories. 

Goal – a sought end result that may be actual and objective, or subjective and internal. 

Goal-Setting – the act of establishing what we want. 

Self-Regulation – adhering to and managing an internal standard of behavior and action. 

Application & Review Questions 

Download the interactive PDF and save to your hard drive. Then, take time to reflect on the Application & Review Questions and answer them in relation to the concepts presented apply to your own life. 

(See Downloads) 

Reflection: The Half-Step Method 

from Lou Tice 

As you are going about your reflective thinking, there is a process available that may help you make more effective decisions, that better reflect who you are and what you want. 

Step 1: Become Aware of the parts of your life that feel incomplete. Ask yourself, “Where am I under-living my life?” As you reflect, write down what comes to mind in a journal. Writing it down makes it real, and gives you some place to go back to, as you continue your self-reflection. 

Step 2: Once you become aware, Examine your thinking. Take your time, and don’t be afraid of digging deep. Go beyond the superficial, what appears on the surface. You owe it to yourself and your future to really understand every aspect of your life. 

Step 3: Explore. Use your forethought, your imagination, to see what your life might look like. Let yourself wonder as your imagination wanders beyond today’s current reality. Ignore the fear feedback – the fear is only a natural reaction to the new. Remember, you aren’t “doing,” just wondering. 

Step 4: Experiment. It’s now time to gather more information. Say you think that life on a farm would really be great. Before you go “all in” and buy one, live and work on one for a week or so. You may find that getting up before the sun and working until dusk, dealing with smelly, contrary cows and mucking out stalls isn’t quite the adventure you thought it would be. You understand exactly what you’d be getting into and you can make an informed decision. 

Step 5: Commitment. It’s time to make the decision. We can’t go from Awareness directly to Commitment, without taking the time to go through the other steps. Once we have done the digging and come to the understanding, we can now let go of what has been holding us back. We can start filling our lives with the people, things, ideas and experiences that complete our replacement pictures.