Success visits those who are very clear about the direction of their lives. It ignores everyone else.
If you want to succeed in life, you need to get very specific about what it is you want in every aspect of your life. You need to think about everything you want. You need to write down what you want. You need to create and pursue goals that will help you get what you want.
Clarity starts the process. Clarity creates the vison. That vision then turns on three very powerful parts of the brain:
- Reticulating Activating System (RAS) – This is the goal management system of the brain. It is also where intuition is received from the subconscious. The RAS, when toggled on, goes to work in helping you achieve your goals. Some neurologists refer to it as the brain’s GPS System for goals. This GPS System is toggled on by a clear vision. Once toggled on, the RAS then starts to search the external environment for anything and everything that could help you in realizing that vision. When it sees something important, it whispers in your ear.
- Pleasure Center of the Brain – The Ventral Striatum & Nucleus Acumbens become highly active when you have a clear vision of your life. These are also known as the pleasure centers of the brain, rich in dopamine receptors. Dopamine is the happiness and fear conquering neurotransmitter. Higher levels of dopamine make you more adventurous and less risk-averse. Having a clear vision activates these two areas of the brain, making you feel happier, more decisive, more confident and more willing to take risks.
- Amygdala – This is the emotion center of the brain located in the Limbic System. This is also where passion resides. Passion is a form of energy, far more powerful than willpower. Passion stimulates you to take action on your goals, dreams and wants.
So, in order to help you zero in on your vision and get these three powerful parts of the brain working for you, let me ask you some questions:
- What do you want your life to look like in, say ten years?
- What ideal, perfect job do you want?
- Where do you want to live?
- What kind of home do you want to live in?
- How much money do you want to make every year?
- What can you do today to increase your income down the road?
- How much money do you want to have in the bank?
- What awesome stuff would you like to own?
- How much do you want to weigh?
- How healthy do you want to be?
- How long do you think you’ll live?
- What can you do to extend your life?
- What type of people do you want to surround yourself with?
- What would your ideal perfect day look like? List your daily future activities.
- What makes you happy?
- What makes you sad?
- Who makes you happy?
- Who drags you down?
- Who is holding you back from your ideal perfect life? Is it you or someone else?
- What’s holding you back from your ideal perfect life?
- What should you be doing to improve your life?
These are questions that require specific answers. If you want to have a successful life, you need to create a blueprint for your ideal, future life. You need to be clear about what that ideal, future life looks like. You need to create a clear vision of that life.
Once you figure out what your perfect life looks like, your RAS will toggle on and begin to go to work, behind the scenes. It will start to nudge you in certain directions. Your intuition will whisper in your ear, telling you exactly what you need to do.
Clarity of vision, supercharges your brain and floods you with the passion energy that makes the impossible possible.
Tom Corley is an accountant, financial planner and author of “Rich Kids: How to Raise Our Children to Be Happy and Successful in Life”, “Effort-Less Wealth”, “Change Your Habits Change Your Life”, “Rich Habits Poor Habits” and “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals.”
