Do you ever wonder why it’s so hard to reach the goals you want to reach? After all, you set them yourself. It simply ain’t happening. Let me give you a hint why…
“Get off the street,” a woman screamed frantically at her little puppy that ran off into a busy road.
“Tell him to get on the pavement,” I advised her as I watched her confused puppy frozen in the middle of the incoming traffic.
Looking at this panicked woman and a puppy that didn’t understand her command made me think about people’s struggles with achieving goals.
I bet you’re wondering…
“What’s a dog got to do with this?”
More than you think.
“How did you train your dog to behave so well?” The puppy owner asked while dragging her puppy back to the curb where my dog Jaba waited patiently for my command to cross the street.
“By telling him what I want him to do, not what I don’t,” I replied. “It’s all about your focus.”
Most owners will say “Get off the couch” if their dogs get on their prized piece of furniture.
The verbal command and the image the dogs telepathically receive in that moment is that of a couch because that’s what their owners are focused on.
You worry about your furniture being scratched so naturally, as you shout at your mutt, the image you project from your mind to your pooch is that of …. wait for it… a couch – the very object you try to protect. Not surprisingly, the poor fellow keeps lounging on your fancy settee, thinking that he’s satisfying your (and definitely his) intent.
How do I know that? Imagine two smelly Shar-Peis spread out on my expensive sofa for years until I figured out they were simply confused about my intentions. Ruff!
If you want your dog off the couch, you have to focus your attention on the floor. Bring an image of your floor to your mind and say “Get on the floor.” Isn’t it where you want your hound to be?
So the big dog question for you is:
Where do you want to be with your goals – on the couch or on the floor?
When we set our goals, we tend to think about all the reasons why we might not be able to achieve them. It’s happening on a deep subconscious level because we may think these goals are too big or unrealistic. We’re afraid to fail and be disappointed. The mind keeps yapping like a mad chihuahua.
In other words, we focus our attention on what we DON’T WANT.
We’re focused on a couch being ruined or the street full of incoming cars that are about to run our puppy over.
What if we focused on the desired outcome instead of the roadblocks that we anticipate?
If you want to secure 10 more clients this month, don’t let your mind linger over “the couch” – the problems that you foresee, such as bad economy, recessions, or unemployment. That’s NOT what you want!
Focus on “the floor” – the result you want to accomplish. You know… the sweet sound of ka-ching flowing in from those new clients.
Brainstorm new tactics to find new prospects. Test new strategies. Talk to other business owners to learn how they’ve pivoted their business. Hound these ideas like a beagle.
From the moment I got my dog, I projected an image of a sidewalk when I walked him. If he veered off to the street, I would gently pull him back and say, “Keep to the pavement.” He quickly learned to stay on the path.
When it was time to get to the other side of the road, I would focus my attention on the image of crossing the street while uttering: “Cross the street.”
My focus and my verbal commands were always in sync so the dog (and my mind) would receive coherent directions.
My mastiff… ahem, massive point is: If you want your puppy off the road, scream “pavement” instead of “street.”
And as far as your goals, ask yourself:
Are your thoughts where you need them to be?
Is your focus on the outcome that you desire or on the roadblocks that you anticipate?
Are you stuck on the couch?
Or
Are you focused on the floor?
Let your pooch be your guide. Woof-woof!
Dagmar Fleming
Founder, Unlock Your Success
