Hack Your Brain To Hit Your Goals
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
We all know that accomplishing a goal is a process — it doesn’t happen overnight. Depending on how big your goal is, committing to the daily actions necessary to achieve it can be tough. We easily fall back into old habits that distract us from the goal.
That’s why retreats are such a transformative opportunity. They’re an incredible way for all of us to sew new seeds in the garden of our dreams. I’m not talking about having hopes and wishes here — this is a matter of neurochemistry.
Being in a new space with new people doing new things is a scientifically PROVEN method of getting new habits to stick — habits that add up to the achievement of your overall goal. It’s called pattern interruption and it’s an immensely powerful tool on the path to making your dreams a reality.
Here's how it works:
Breaking automaticity: Our brains are wired to seek efficiency and conserve energy by automating repetitive tasks. Established habits become ingrained and operate on autopilot. However, pattern interruption disrupts this automaticity, forcing us to engage in a more conscious and deliberate manner. By breaking the cycle of automatic behavior, we create space for new habits to emerge.
Increased awareness: When we interrupt familiar patterns, it jolts us out of our comfort zones and prompts us to pay closer attention to our actions. This heightened awareness allows us to assess our behaviors more objectively and consider alternative choices. It opens the door for intentional decision-making and the opportunity to replace old habits with new ones.
Creating new associations: Patterns are often associated with specific triggers or cues that prompt habitual responses. By interrupting the pattern, we disrupt these associations and create room for new ones to form. For example, if you're trying to establish a habit of daily exercise, interrupting your after-work routine by going to the gym instead of immediately settling into your usual evening activities can help create a new association between exercise and that time of day.
Cognitive flexibility: Pattern interruption challenges our brain's tendency to rely on familiar pathways and encourages cognitive flexibility. When we break away from our usual routines, we activate different neural networks and engage in new ways of thinking. This flexibility enables us to explore and adopt new habits more readily.
Mindfulness and intention: Pattern interruption promotes a state of mindfulness and intentionality. By intentionally disrupting established patterns, we cultivate a mindset of actively shaping our behaviors. This mindfulness allows us to consciously choose new habits aligned with our goals and values, increasing the likelihood of their successful adoption.
Overcoming resistance to change: Human beings are naturally resistant to change, often clinging to familiar routines even when they no longer serve us. Pattern interruption disrupts this resistance by introducing novelty and variety. It creates a sense of novelty that can make new habits more appealing and helps break the inertia that holds us back from change.
If you have a goal in mind, retreats are a PRIME opportunity to make progress towards it. Our upcoming coworking retreat in Cartagena, Colombia leverages NLP priniciples to help remote workers unlock their potential.
Get ahead of the process now by reflecting on your desires and coming up with some teeny-tiny actions (habits) that you can take each day that will get you closer to accomplishing your goal.
Then, by the time the retreat comes around, you’re ready to disrupt established patterns and create space for your new habits to form and goals to be achieved!
If you’d like more information on pattern interruption and how to leverage your brain chemistry to achieve new states of being, check out my friend Cristina Schooler’s monthly NLP meet up here! https://www.meetup.com/austin-nlp-gathering/events
I would love to hear how this resonates for you and any action you’re inspired to take! Drop them in the comments below or connect with me @sianne.etc on instagram.
