Perhaps another day has gone by, and you did not make a new sale or did not acquire new followers. Now what?
Waiting on the world to deliver the answer to your prayers is a sketchy strategy. Yes, I’ve read all the manifestation articles. I understand all about the Law of Attraction, but I disagree.
Your answer is kind of like a really hot guy or girl. The more you pursue, the more they run. Best to let go of the hope and the dream.
It doesn’t mean you should give up, though. That’s not what I’m saying at all.
Instead, if you live as if your answer is nowhere in sight, then you can start looking at what is actually in sight — your present reality — which will make it much easier to create what you want.
I bring this up because the research on visualization is very mixed. There is research that shows visualization helps make your dream life come true. But there is good research that shows that visualization is not just ineffective, it’s counterproductive.
It’s as if some part of your brain believes you have what you want and tells the doing part of your brain that it doesn’t have to do any extra work.
I see this a lot with my projects. The more I talk about them, the less I do them. Sound familiar?
But for all you dreamers and visionaries and people trying to create something new in the world — whether that’s a new relationship, a new job, a new home, a new article — there’s something else you can do.
A Reality Check
Open your eyes and look around you as you are reading this article right now. What do you see? What is your environment like? What type of place are you in? What does it smell like? How does it feel? Who is in it?
Step one is always the reality check. Really take it in. In fact, don’t look at it out there. Instead, feel the world around you coming towards you and into your eyes. Breathe it in. Nothing will change until you first totally and completely accept it the way it is.
Start With One Thing
For example, if you want a new relationship, stop fantasizing about you and prince/princess charming on a yacht in the south of France or wherever your answer vacations.
Instead, think about where you can go right now in your vicinity where the type of person you are looking for might be hanging out. Go there (after you read this article, of course).
Make one concrete plan that does not require anyone else to execute. I can’t tell you how many people have amazing plans just out of reach because the next step is too far for their own feet to reach.
Whatever your answer is, think about what you can do right now to take yourself one step closer. Then, take that step.
Create an Action Plan
Now that you’ve taken the second step, write down a list of actions you need to create your answer. If you are talking about a new relationship, don’t make a list of all his or her qualities. If you’ve already done that, burn it right now.
Instead, make a list of actions that you can take to get you one step closer to what you want. Make a list about YOU, what you will do, where you will go, what you will wear and how you will feel. Then do those things one by one.
We can’t control the world with our thoughts. If it were that easy, the world would be a very different place. What we can do is take one step at a time towards what we want.
Don’t Visualize the Outcome. Instead, Do This
If you like to visualize, though, there is one helpful way to do it. You don’t envision the outcome — you are on stage accepting the Oscar for your short film.
Instead, imagine yourself doing all the grunt work that got you there. You see yourself in meetings raising money, sitting at your computer editing your script, pacing in the edit bay as your editor cuts your film.
It may not sound as dramatic or as exciting as seeing yourself on stage getting that award but imagining yourself taking the steps that will make you more likely to do the steps it takes to achieve your goals.
As the saying goes, “You have to shake the bushes to see what falls out.” The saying isn’t, “Visualize something falling out of the bushes.” It’s shake the bushes.
Although it sounds great, the Law of Attraction can derail many people into fantasizing their lives away.
Remember, actions propel you forward. It’s important to know what you want. If you don’t know it yet, all you need to know is your next step.
If you’re not sure, take a good look around you. Really take it in. The next step is right here.
Ultimately, the answer is nowhere in sight because it’s inside you. You don’t find it. You create it by getting clear about the steps that will get you from here to there.
Cultivate that self-image inside you, doing what it takes to achieve your goals. Then, your film will get done, and that invite to the Oscars will arrive.
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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.
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