Intention and emotional intensity test

We can set intentions and some of these come to fruition while others just fizzle out.

Why is that?

My research and experience around this shows that intentions need enough emotional charge to keep them alive and more importantly enough charge so that the intentions become a reality.

The emotional charge part can be referred to feeling a sense of excitement, enthusiasm or a strong knowing. The emotional charge of the intention is the important part that touches the quantum field in order for the manifestation to kick in.

When I coach a client on a specific goal or intention I will ask the client the following and important question:

“On a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 is the highest, how would you rate your feeling on the goal”?

Most people have a good idea of how they feel about a goal they are going for. If the answer is “I feel it is a 4″, then they have to change the focus or structure of the goal or perhaps the goal is not what they really want. If the goal is rated say at 8 then it is likely to be a goal the client wants however we need to do some work to get it up to a 10.

The secret around great goal setting is to design a goal or intention that has a 10 intensity. The difference between a rating of 9 and 10 is the difference of an earth quake rated 7 on the Richter scale where 7 is at least 10 times more powerful than a 6.

What this means is that if your intention has an intensity of 10 then you have a high possibility of making that goal happen much faster than a goal set at say an 8.

You may ask “how do I know I have a goal set high on the intensity scale?”.

The answer is how you feel about the goal and then put a number around the feeling. The mind needs a way to measure and quantify and this is a very good start to getting clear of intentions worth working on.

For further clarification on the intention and emotional intensity test or if you have any feedback, please let me know.

Expectation and manifestation

When you set a goal or intention, a good strategy is to have an expectant attitude about the thing or circumstance you want to bring into reality.

If after setting a goal you say to yourself “It would be nice for this to happen and I hope it will” implies is a kind of wishful attitude and this could actually block your path to making your goal a reality. Better still is an attitude of “I will make this happen and as I affirm this I feel it already happening for me”. In other words have the attitude of both mental and emotional expectation.

In quantum physics, scientists say that the intelligent quantum field of energy responds to emotion. The stronger the emotion behind the intention the easier will be the delivery of your intention in the physical world.

Yes, there are going to be obstacles that may prevent you from achieving this. Many of the excuses I have observed come from the mind and all the limited beliefs and statements it throws at you. Also feelings of unworthiness kick in and you start sabotaging the whole process. These have to be acknowledged, welcomed and released and there are plenty techniques to let go of non supporting beliefs.

So in spite of all this, expect that the goal will happen no matter what shows up on your path. See all set backs with the attitude “it´s all good” because you may need the setbacks to make you stronger in the process. Look upon it as a kind of maturing your character.

When I set a goal I work with the power of gratitude and often say to myself “Thank you that this goal is happening for me and thank you that I have the ability to make this goal my reality”. I install a sense of expectancy within myself.

The manifestation process requires this attitude of expectancy. If you don´t have it, struggle ensues and you end up giving up on your goal or dream.

All great achievers have this expectancy attitude within themselves and plough on through their limitations knowing there goal will happen.

Successful entrepreneurs think differently

Why do successful entrepreneurs think differently?

I came across a very compelling document written by Frank La Pira and Murray Gillin of the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship claiming that successful serial entrepreneurs think more from their intuition or gut feeling than they so from logic.

We are aware that Intelligence can be measure by IQ levels. A new awareness is emerging in business circles known as Spiritual Capital or SQ. In other words some business leaders are beginning to perceive the business world with emphasis on Intuitive awareness. In today´s business world, for entrepreneurs to succeed they have to make fast decisions rather than depend on orderly sequential analysis of a situation otherwise opportunities are lost in the thinking process.

It would appear from the report that the heart receives intuitive impulses before the brain and it is from this emotional thinking space that many of the best entrepreneurs make so called illogical choices that turn out to be successes. Many entrepreneurs will enter new markets and industries without having any specialised knowledge and many do this on a “hunch”.

This is not to say that entrepreneurs just go all out with no information. According to the report they have the ability to take risks while realising the downside and go forward anyway.

The report summarises that the entrepreneur´s uniqueness does not entitle them to follow a self serving path and that making decisions from gut instincts also requires a sense of honesty and integrity and doing the right thing.

If you consider Bill Gates or Richard Branson, these are two great examples of people who have used unusual thinking styles and went against the grain and they have created great wealth and are now giving back to society in their own unique ways.

Although these finding are at the early stages of investigation this does point to a compelling vision of the business world moving more towards a more holistic way of operation. It may take many years before it becomes a mainstream acceptance, however, our model of the world in which we live and work is changing and there is no going back or holding onto the old patterns of thinking and success.

Effective Goal setting

Effective goal setting is an art in itself. In my work as a coach I ask clients what kind of goal or intention do they aspire to. I get responses ranging from “to be happier”, “to get rich” to “become fit and healthy”.

The intentions are good however it is like saying I want to go to fly to Australia, however, I am not sure where in Australia I want to be. In other words I need to get clear and specific on where I want my end point to be. The concious mind needs this clarity in order to hand it over to the sub concious mind so as to set the energy in motion for the journey.

If you are in a goal setting space, I suggest the following parameters for setting compelling goals or intentions..

1. Does the goal inspire and excite you? If it does then you are onto something very important that you feel you need to make happen

2. Does the goal stretch and challenge you? In other words the goal needs to take you out of your comfort zone and yet it needs to be achievable within a certain time frame, say 6 months. If you are broke and want to be a millionaire in 4 weeks that may be over challenging. Stick with what will really stretch you to achieve it.

3. Is the goal expressed clearly as possible? The fewer the words the better, for example to “fit into my old blue jeans” may mean a ton of things for you and this is enough.

4. Only one main focus. The goal should be focused on one main measure. For example to take the above goal I could state “To fit into my old blue jeans, run a marathon and go to the gym 5 times a week” has too many central focus themes – keep it to one measure and one theme.

5. It needs to be measurable. For example: “I want to spend more quality time with my daughter” is to general. It needs a measure.. “I want to spend at least 5 quality hours a week with my daughter”

6. State the goal in the positive. For example “I intend to stop shouting at my kids” has negative connotations. Instead you could state ” I intend to create a more fun and harmonious relationship with my children every day of the week”

Setting goals should not be a chore. Instead it should be a fun and supportive activity for you. If you do it coming from an attitude of a “chore” then leave it for now until you feel and attitude of fun around setting goals. If you take on board the above ideas and integrate them with your own views you will have a head start on this goal setting process.

Money goals and values

For most of my clients the most important goal that is set is around finances and money.

I know of someone who became obsessed and blinkered about making millions and he ended up making his fortune. In the process of making alot of money he lost what was actually more important to him which was his wife and children. He spent too much time away from his home and family for the sake of making his millions.

He reflected back on what had happened and realised that had he had his time over again he would have got clear on what was important to him, in other words what were his core values.

Values or what is important to a person is the engine room in terms of driving forward with your goals. So many people reach their goals and miss this step out that they end up feeling empty after all that has been accomplished.

When I work with clients around attracting circumstances such as making money, we look at the key words that relate to your values and then we prioritise these.

For example, I Intend to make $1 million is a goal. My values list looks like this:

Health and well being

Love and Joy

Family

God Connection

Friendship and connection

Money and wealth

Notice that money and wealth is the sixth value on this priority list of values. These are the values that drive me and so if I am to set goals around money I need to really consider how this will impact the other values in my life and make the necessary adjustments.

To be successful, setting goals is part of that process. Also getting clear on what is important to you is just as important and I find that people who orientate their goals around their values seem to have a more fulfilling path to achievement.

Setting money goals and values is a balanced combination for a more successful life.

Getting clear on your goals

The goal setting process can for many people turn out to be a complicated exercise. Keeping it simple (KIS) will make the process run much easier and the liklihood is that you will actually get going on your goals and make them happen.

Many people are very keen to get down on paper as many goals as possible and although this can be a good thing of thinking on paper, the important theme here is to keep it simple and focus on the crticial few rather than the trivial many. Use the 80/20 rule and decide what are the goals that will impact your life most and you will find that 20% or less of the goals will fall into this area.

Getting clear on your goals can take time and there is a simple yet very effective technique we use in the Law of Attraction goal setting process kmown contrast and clarity. I have referred to this before in previous articles, however, it is such a helpful technique to arrive at clarity on the back of contrast.

To give an example: ” I want to go on an adventure vacation in 2008″

Start with what you don´t want or like which could be: I don´t want to vacation where there are thousands of tourists in one place, close to the beach, in a country where it could be dangerous for tourists, in a cold climate, too expensive and over my budget, where no one speaks any English, going alone etc etc

Then shift to what I do want and match each statement above to what I like or want: I want to vacation where there are just local people where I feel close to the culture, close to mountains and national parks, a safe and politically stable country, a very warm climate, well within my budget and where some people speak English, going with my partner etc etc.

Reading the what I want paragraph above I could end up with the following goal which is more specific:

“I Intend to go with my partner on a Kenya Safari vacation in September 2008″

Although this is a simple example, the contrast delivers the clarity and then from there more specifics are added and if possible a date will help to focus the mind as to when this is likely to happen.

The more you work on the contrast and find out what you don´t want, you will build more clarity by matching on what you do want.

New year´s resolutions and goals

As we approach the new year, most of us are filled with hope and aspiration for the year ahead and we take this change of the year as a way to start from a clean sheet and list our our resolutions.

The problem with setting new year´s resolutions and goals is that they are basically wishes for something better and in many cases they fall short of a structure. They are not written down, and most importantly we have not really understood why we want the resolution for the coming year.

I am a member of a local gym and notice every January a sudden upsurge of membership after the new year´s festivities. I have to wait my turn for the running machine, however, when the end of January comes I am able to literally walk onto the running machine without having to wait in line as there seems to be fewer people interested in getting in shape.

The gym example is simply one example of the resolutions we all keep. Our resolutions are sincere and we really want them, however, the mind is wired in such a way that it needs reminding and also needs to be backed up by a emotional charge to keep the resolution alive. This is where the why comes in to help out. Quoting Jim Rohn, one of Americas best respected motivational speakers, states that “reasons come first”. What Jim is pointing to is that reasons provide us leverage as to why we want something. From a Law of Attraction point of view we are using the why question to build energy around the intended goal so as to give it more life force.

If I have a goal to set up my own business, my why could be… I want to spend more quality time with my family, I want to live a more autonomous life, I want to live on my terms and live in my dream and not someone else´s and I want to follow my passion with a certain idea or product.

What this does for me is to provide me with the firewood to get my fire going on my goal. Without understanding the motives behind the goal, the fire fizzles out and we are back to square one. Also, in my experience, we need to be accountable for the actions we take and so having a buddy or coach to report back to helps to keep you on the playing field.

Hope this helps you to consider adding a new level of awareness to your new year´s resolutions.

Time management and doing nothing

I have worked in the business world for many years and as part of my training in the corporate world was the art of managing my time.

I learned some real neat things on how to manage time, manage people´s expectations and managing my priorities. What I noticed as I was doing all this stuff is that I was constantly on the go. It seemed the busier I got the more phone calls, emails and requests came my way.

The time management techniques were certainly a help to keep me on top of it, however, I realised I was moving away from the role of a human being to a human doing!

What I decided to do was to slot into my busy day a time say 20 minutes to do nothing, just be. This would involve just sitting at my desk and just noticing how it feels just sitting on the chair, the feeling of the clothes I was wearing, observing my breathe. I would sit and observe a photo of my family or a holiday snap. By doing “nothing”, my mind was able to recollect itself, become centered, clearer and the affect would be reduces stress levels. I would come out of the session ready to face the rest of the day.

In the business world we are kind of programmed or taught the concept of “I have to perform” or “I have to be productive” or there is “no time to waste”. These beliefs can run our day and our life if we are not careful. I suggest that short doing nothing sessions will actually improve performance as the brain and body have had time out to recollect and get ready to move onto the next activity with a renewed vigour.

Time management and doing nothing may be a kind of paradox in our fast moving world, however, we need to remind ourself we are human beings and not always human doings and make provision for that.

Brain in the heart

There is now scientific proof that there is a brain in the heart or the heart has an intelligence all of its own. The affect is that the state of the heart´s intelligence affects how we live our lives, our health and the state of the environment.

When you say “I know it in my heart” you are actually tuning into the heart´s own intelligence. The heart is not just a pump beating at an amazing 40 million beats a year, it is also a self contained area of great intelligence and power.

For this reason making heartfelt commitments on creating the life you want is engaging the power of the heart to bring this reality to you much faster than an intention coming from the head only. Really understanding this has powerful ramifications in personal and business lives.

Negative emotions lead to increased disorder in the heart´s rhythms and your body´s nervous systems which leads to stress. Improving the health of the heart improves your perceptions, which reduces stress and helps you to deal with difficult situations.

Techniques like meditation and cultivating love and compassion will only help to improve heart beat rhythms and improve your overall well being.

To find out more of this fascinating research check out the HeartMath Institute web site below. Here is a short summary of the Institute´s findings on Heart Intelligence:

“The answers to many of our original questions now provide a scientific basis to explain how and why the heart affects mental clarity, creativity, emotional balance and personal effectiveness. Our research and that of others indicate that the heart is far more than a simple pump. The heart is, in fact, a highly complex, self-organized information processing center with its own functional “brain” that communicates with and influences the cranial brain via the nervous system, hormonal system and other pathways. These influences profoundly affect brain function and most of the body’s major organs, and ultimately determine the quality of life”.

If you are interested here is the link to the HeartMath web site.

Start with the end in mind

We are taught that in order to make something happen we have to think from going from point A to point B, in other words, I am here today and in order to get to there in 12 months I must do X, Y and Z in order to achieve it.

Although this can be effective there is a far more effective way of getting to your destination and that is to have already arrived at that place in your mind and work backwards. A good example is how an architect plans a housing project. They have all the plans in place, infrastructure thought out, they produce the artist´s impression of the project done. In other words they see it in the mind as done before any work starts.

What I suggest is do something similar and plan backwards. Start with the end in mind and work your way back to the present day and act and feel as if it is complete. Then, in your mind work your way back to the the end and return again. Notice any details the mind picks up such as actions you may have never thought about doing.

You could be thinking of starting a business. Instead of future thinking, go to the future now and look back at how you managed to make the business a success. You may see that your attitude was that of determination, you planned well, you kept taking consistent action and kept your mind on the vision. Perhaps you see a certain type of client or key clients who buy from you frequently. You see the kind of income you are earning and you notice how you feel. This kind of thinking and seeing is only as good as your willingness to allow the imagination to help you form that end point vision.

IBM ,the multi billion dollar IT company was formed this way. Tom Watson, the founder is quoted as saying: “I had a very clear picture of what the company would look like when it was finally done”. He goes onto say.. “I then asked myself how a company which looked like that would have to act” and finally he says.. “unless we began to act that way from the very beginning, we would never get there”.

Start with the end in mind is very much in line with Attraction and coming from a point of inspired action.