Article11
How to make your dreams come true
by PAUL McKENNA, Daily Mail
How to make your dreams come true
by PAUL McKENNA, Daily Mail
You really can re-programme your mind and change your life for the better in just five days.
Today, I'm going to explain how to identify your deepest desires and make your dreams come true.
Ten years ago, I sat down and asked myself: 'If I continue along my present course, where will I end up five years from now?' I was shocked to realise I wouldn't really be any more fulfilled, spiritually, emotionally or financially.
I'd just be older, and a little paranoid.
So I asked myself what I really wanted - what was important to me. And when I'd worked that out, I started to visualise those things. The results were incredible. Within days I began to feel better.
I suddenly found I had more energy, my finances took an upturn, I became known in more than 42 countries, and rock stars, movie stars, even royalty wanted me to work with them. I began to attract the kind of people I'd always wanted to attract.
We all have dreams and desires, but it's important to stop for a moment and think about what one of your aspirations might be. Take a moment and just fantasise. Let your mind wander.
You've just done what all truly successful people do - creative planning, goal-setting, daydreaming.
Many great names throughout history used the state of daydreaming to get their ideas.
Einstein imagined riding on a beam of light to think of his theory of relativity. Tesla could design a machine perfectly in his mind before he did so in the physical world.
What they were doing was a form of self-hypnosis, or guided imagery technique. But why is it so important? Because for anything to happen in the real world, it first has to happen in the imaginary world.
Stop and look around you. Most of what you can see once started as a thought in someone's head. The more you have thoughts of success, the more you become successful.
In order for you to improve your life, you need to change your thoughts. Most people will spend time making a list for the supermarket but don't make a list of the really important things they want in life.
What you need to do now is set yourself some goals - and then go about making them happen.
Here, we're going to programme your goals directly into your unconscious mind so they are easier to achieve. You need to focus - and to learn to focus in a positive way.
For example, some people spend all their time thinking of ways not to be fat. But by saying 'Why am I so fat?' they are reinforcing a negative suggestion. So remember - always state your goals in the positive: 'How am I going to become slim?' One thing all the unhappy people I have worked with have in common is that they know what they don't want. Always focus on what you do want - and do it regularly.
Repetition is the agent of success.
And remember, the journey to your goal is as important as attaining the goal itself. How you grow emotionally, intellectually and spiritually on the way there really matters.
Step one: brainstorm First of all, ask yourself : 'What do I really want?' Write down what comes to mind - that's important. You must write your thoughts down. Don't worry if your list is long and rather muddled - you can organise it later.
You don't need to be too specific at first, just an outline will do for now.
If you have any problems getting started, ask yourself: 'What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?' Think about all the major areas of your life - family, relationships, career, spiritual development. What would you really love to happen? What would you really like to learn? What skills do you want to master? How much money do you want to accumulate?
What character traits do you want to develop? What do you want to give back to the world? Choose things that really excite you.
Imagine your goals in as much detail as possible. You need to visualise them. Also, listen to the sounds that are part of your goals - and the feelings, the smells, tastes. Create a rich internal experience of having your goals.
Step two: prioritise
Find your most important goals. What are your top three? Write them down.
Step three: identify your values
Now, vividly imagine having achieved one of your goals. What do you see, feel and hear - and how good does it feel?
Ask yourself, what does achieving this goal give you? What's important to you about this goal?
Notice what words or phrases come to mind, and write them down.
The reason for doing this is to discover the values that underpin your goals - to understand the essence of what really drives you and what is most important to you.
Specific words or a phrase will come to mind such as 'security', 'achievement', 'contributing to life'.
The words you choose will signify your values.
Some people might have a goal that's 'helping others' because they value making the world a better place. Someone else might think of 'winning an Olympic medal' because they value human achievement.
Now pick another goal and do it again. Keep doing this until you have a list of words and phrases that represent your values.
Ask yourself what's important to you about all of these values.
This is your most prized value, it's at the very core of what drives you.
So now you should have a detailed list of your most important goals - perhaps a new house, a promotion, greater wealth - and what having those things will give you: confidence, security, enhanced self-esteem, a feeling of achievement.
These are your values.
Step four: identify your life's purpose
Having goals is good and knowing what your values are is important - but how do they figure in your life's purpose?
Many people's goals focus on money, pursuing it as an end in itself, believing that when they have enough of it, they can do what they really want.
I've worked with a number of people who were coming to the end of their lives. I asked some of them what they wished they had done more of, or less of.
None of them said: 'I wish I had another sports car.' They said things such as: 'I wish I'd laughed more or loved more' or 'I wish I'd spent less time worrying.' Of course, money and fame might be blessings, but just acquiring symbols of success will not necessarily make us any happier.
The classic scenario of where goals are not congruent with purpose is where a salesman sets a particular target goal. If this target becomes his total focus, he might undermine his values, using manipulative or highpressure techniques to try to sell.
Any goal must be within your life's purpose to stay true to your values. What good is a successful career if it's at the cost of your marriage, or you hardly ever see your children?
Only you know what you truly want. Ask yourself what you feel really passionate about and what you would choose to do if you had unlimited financial wealth.
Think about the people or characters from history you most admire, and ask yourself why you admire them.
Answering these questions will help you to get an overall idea of what your life's purpose is about.
Step five: validation
How will you know when you've achieved your goal? Some people have no way of knowing, because they don't have a day-to- day method of measuring whether they are on course. The solution is simple: be specific and have a validation procedure. You need to have sensory-based information.
What will you see as you achieve your goal, what will you hear, what will you feel, and what will you smell and taste? This will give you a way of knowing if you are getting nearer or further from your goals.
Some people place the validationtoo far in the future. They only see the end result - a big house or car - and they hold off their happiness until they achieve this. You need some signposts of success on the way.
These can be smaller goals.
On the way to great wealth there may be smaller but significant amounts of wealth that let you know you are heading in the right direction.
Step six: ecology check
Now do what we call an ecology check.
As you project into the future, check that having your goals is genuinely a good thing and doesn't harm others. Sometimes, on our way to achieving a goal, we can overlook important factors. What good is business success if it's at the cost of your health, for instance?
Also, check that your goals are in your control, not dependent on others having to change themselves to make you happy.
So your goal should be something you can directly make happen. Also, make sure there aren't any internal conflicts because these can turn into selfsabotage.
Check to see there aren't any hidden rewards for you not achieving a goal. And make sure they are your goals - some people choose a profession to please their parents rather than themselves.
Step seven: Make a time line
Knowing you are on track is easier when you have a timeline of events that need to take place in a sequence that leads to your goal.
So get an idea of the time it will take you to achieve one of your goals: a month, six months, a year - whatever the length of time. Then, working back from your outcome, figure out the major steps you need to take before you achieve your goal - and write them down.
Vividly live those steps, see what you'll see, hear what you'll hear, feel how good you'll feel as you achieve each step.
Most important is getting a clear, big, bright image of each step.
Step eight: identify the obstacles
Stop and ask yourself what is likely to get in the way of you achieving your goal. By knowing the problems in advance, you'll find it easier to overcome them.
Do you have a lack of specialised knowledge, space, time or money? Will you have enough confidence to achieve your goals? Do you start things and not finish them? Will some people not take you seriously?
Write down the obstacles.
Projecting into the future and foreseeing obstacles gives the benefit of being able to prepare for problems before they happen.
Think about what you will need to do to overcome the obstacles.
Who will you have to become?
What kind of character traits will you have to develop?
It's important to handle these problems as early as possible - then you'll be more confident about succeeding.
Step nine: resources
Make a list of all the resources you have - friends, skills, education, finances, time, health, character traits, where you live and so on.
Step ten: visualise achieving your goal
Take your goals and design them into your ideal day.
How does it start? Imagine the kind of people you have around you, places you go, things you have, how good you feel.
Go into it in minute detail.
When you do this you are designing, so make it right until it feels really good.
Where do you go on your ideal day? What are some of the things that let you know how successful you are?
Let your unconscious mind know exactly what it is that you want, let it encode into your neurology, because for anything to happen in your life, it first has to happen as a thought in your mind.
If you want to train with Paul personally, call 020 7704 6604 or visit www.paulmckenna.com.
Today, I'm going to explain how to identify your deepest desires and make your dreams come true.
Ten years ago, I sat down and asked myself: 'If I continue along my present course, where will I end up five years from now?' I was shocked to realise I wouldn't really be any more fulfilled, spiritually, emotionally or financially.
I'd just be older, and a little paranoid.
So I asked myself what I really wanted - what was important to me. And when I'd worked that out, I started to visualise those things. The results were incredible. Within days I began to feel better.
I suddenly found I had more energy, my finances took an upturn, I became known in more than 42 countries, and rock stars, movie stars, even royalty wanted me to work with them. I began to attract the kind of people I'd always wanted to attract.
We all have dreams and desires, but it's important to stop for a moment and think about what one of your aspirations might be. Take a moment and just fantasise. Let your mind wander.
You've just done what all truly successful people do - creative planning, goal-setting, daydreaming.
Many great names throughout history used the state of daydreaming to get their ideas.
Einstein imagined riding on a beam of light to think of his theory of relativity. Tesla could design a machine perfectly in his mind before he did so in the physical world.
What they were doing was a form of self-hypnosis, or guided imagery technique. But why is it so important? Because for anything to happen in the real world, it first has to happen in the imaginary world.
Stop and look around you. Most of what you can see once started as a thought in someone's head. The more you have thoughts of success, the more you become successful.
In order for you to improve your life, you need to change your thoughts. Most people will spend time making a list for the supermarket but don't make a list of the really important things they want in life.
What you need to do now is set yourself some goals - and then go about making them happen.
Here, we're going to programme your goals directly into your unconscious mind so they are easier to achieve. You need to focus - and to learn to focus in a positive way.
For example, some people spend all their time thinking of ways not to be fat. But by saying 'Why am I so fat?' they are reinforcing a negative suggestion. So remember - always state your goals in the positive: 'How am I going to become slim?' One thing all the unhappy people I have worked with have in common is that they know what they don't want. Always focus on what you do want - and do it regularly.
Repetition is the agent of success.
And remember, the journey to your goal is as important as attaining the goal itself. How you grow emotionally, intellectually and spiritually on the way there really matters.
Step one: brainstorm First of all, ask yourself : 'What do I really want?' Write down what comes to mind - that's important. You must write your thoughts down. Don't worry if your list is long and rather muddled - you can organise it later.
You don't need to be too specific at first, just an outline will do for now.
If you have any problems getting started, ask yourself: 'What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?' Think about all the major areas of your life - family, relationships, career, spiritual development. What would you really love to happen? What would you really like to learn? What skills do you want to master? How much money do you want to accumulate?
What character traits do you want to develop? What do you want to give back to the world? Choose things that really excite you.
Imagine your goals in as much detail as possible. You need to visualise them. Also, listen to the sounds that are part of your goals - and the feelings, the smells, tastes. Create a rich internal experience of having your goals.
Step two: prioritise
Find your most important goals. What are your top three? Write them down.
Step three: identify your values
Now, vividly imagine having achieved one of your goals. What do you see, feel and hear - and how good does it feel?
Ask yourself, what does achieving this goal give you? What's important to you about this goal?
Notice what words or phrases come to mind, and write them down.
The reason for doing this is to discover the values that underpin your goals - to understand the essence of what really drives you and what is most important to you.
Specific words or a phrase will come to mind such as 'security', 'achievement', 'contributing to life'.
The words you choose will signify your values.
Some people might have a goal that's 'helping others' because they value making the world a better place. Someone else might think of 'winning an Olympic medal' because they value human achievement.
Now pick another goal and do it again. Keep doing this until you have a list of words and phrases that represent your values.
Ask yourself what's important to you about all of these values.
This is your most prized value, it's at the very core of what drives you.
So now you should have a detailed list of your most important goals - perhaps a new house, a promotion, greater wealth - and what having those things will give you: confidence, security, enhanced self-esteem, a feeling of achievement.
These are your values.
Step four: identify your life's purpose
Having goals is good and knowing what your values are is important - but how do they figure in your life's purpose?
Many people's goals focus on money, pursuing it as an end in itself, believing that when they have enough of it, they can do what they really want.
I've worked with a number of people who were coming to the end of their lives. I asked some of them what they wished they had done more of, or less of.
None of them said: 'I wish I had another sports car.' They said things such as: 'I wish I'd laughed more or loved more' or 'I wish I'd spent less time worrying.' Of course, money and fame might be blessings, but just acquiring symbols of success will not necessarily make us any happier.
The classic scenario of where goals are not congruent with purpose is where a salesman sets a particular target goal. If this target becomes his total focus, he might undermine his values, using manipulative or highpressure techniques to try to sell.
Any goal must be within your life's purpose to stay true to your values. What good is a successful career if it's at the cost of your marriage, or you hardly ever see your children?
Only you know what you truly want. Ask yourself what you feel really passionate about and what you would choose to do if you had unlimited financial wealth.
Think about the people or characters from history you most admire, and ask yourself why you admire them.
Answering these questions will help you to get an overall idea of what your life's purpose is about.
Step five: validation
How will you know when you've achieved your goal? Some people have no way of knowing, because they don't have a day-to- day method of measuring whether they are on course. The solution is simple: be specific and have a validation procedure. You need to have sensory-based information.
What will you see as you achieve your goal, what will you hear, what will you feel, and what will you smell and taste? This will give you a way of knowing if you are getting nearer or further from your goals.
Some people place the validationtoo far in the future. They only see the end result - a big house or car - and they hold off their happiness until they achieve this. You need some signposts of success on the way.
These can be smaller goals.
On the way to great wealth there may be smaller but significant amounts of wealth that let you know you are heading in the right direction.
Step six: ecology check
Now do what we call an ecology check.
As you project into the future, check that having your goals is genuinely a good thing and doesn't harm others. Sometimes, on our way to achieving a goal, we can overlook important factors. What good is business success if it's at the cost of your health, for instance?
Also, check that your goals are in your control, not dependent on others having to change themselves to make you happy.
So your goal should be something you can directly make happen. Also, make sure there aren't any internal conflicts because these can turn into selfsabotage.
Check to see there aren't any hidden rewards for you not achieving a goal. And make sure they are your goals - some people choose a profession to please their parents rather than themselves.
Step seven: Make a time line
Knowing you are on track is easier when you have a timeline of events that need to take place in a sequence that leads to your goal.
So get an idea of the time it will take you to achieve one of your goals: a month, six months, a year - whatever the length of time. Then, working back from your outcome, figure out the major steps you need to take before you achieve your goal - and write them down.
Vividly live those steps, see what you'll see, hear what you'll hear, feel how good you'll feel as you achieve each step.
Most important is getting a clear, big, bright image of each step.
Step eight: identify the obstacles
Stop and ask yourself what is likely to get in the way of you achieving your goal. By knowing the problems in advance, you'll find it easier to overcome them.
Do you have a lack of specialised knowledge, space, time or money? Will you have enough confidence to achieve your goals? Do you start things and not finish them? Will some people not take you seriously?
Write down the obstacles.
Projecting into the future and foreseeing obstacles gives the benefit of being able to prepare for problems before they happen.
Think about what you will need to do to overcome the obstacles.
Who will you have to become?
What kind of character traits will you have to develop?
It's important to handle these problems as early as possible - then you'll be more confident about succeeding.
Step nine: resources
Make a list of all the resources you have - friends, skills, education, finances, time, health, character traits, where you live and so on.
Step ten: visualise achieving your goal
Take your goals and design them into your ideal day.
How does it start? Imagine the kind of people you have around you, places you go, things you have, how good you feel.
Go into it in minute detail.
When you do this you are designing, so make it right until it feels really good.
Where do you go on your ideal day? What are some of the things that let you know how successful you are?
Let your unconscious mind know exactly what it is that you want, let it encode into your neurology, because for anything to happen in your life, it first has to happen as a thought in your mind.
If you want to train with Paul personally, call 020 7704 6604 or visit www.paulmckenna.com.