Issue #238: The Secret to Chasing Goals
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, September 12th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: Why Should I Manifest?
Speed Read: Novak Djokovic #24
Tuesday QR: Oven-Baked Beet Chips
“What you think you become. What you feel you attract. What you imagine you create.”
Percentage of Americans who will be happier when they have more money. It’s true that there’s a level of financial stability that’s required to be happy in life (Issue #141), but often we keep waiting to be happy based on another future milestone. But that’s never really the answer and we keep waiting, and waiting, and… (Harvard Business Review)
From the Lab
Meditation finally “stuck” with me when I read Emily Fletcher’s book, “Stress Less, Accomplish More.”
The entire premise was that the goal isn’t to be good at meditating, but to be good at life. The practical approach seemed to fit what I was looking for and provided a blueprint that worked for me.
But I had one sticking point…
The process includes “3 M’s”:
Mindfulness - bring awareness to the present moment
Meditation - deep rest to rid stress from the past
Manifestation - design a life you love
It was this third point that I couldn’t really master.
First - while I’ve always set “goals,” I’ve never been the person to create a vision board or really “manifest” anything.
Somewhere deep in my head there was always a “plan” - from school to work to family - and to keep moving forward. But mostly I thought about the tangible goal right in front of me - the next promotion, the next opportunity.
Second - I thought meditation was supposed to take me “out of the rat race.” I wanted to stop thinking that “I’ll be happy when…”
So why was this part of the process?
It’s taken me a few years to understand - but the nuance is that…
We’re not actually chasing the goal. We’re chasing how we will FEEL when we accomplish that goal.
There’s plenty of research that shows “things” don’t create long-term fulfillment - the dopamine hit is fleeting and then we just want/need more. It’s true of money, promotions, and other stuff that fill up our homes.
By manifesting these goals with meditation - we detach the outcome from the feeling and just focus on the latter. We actually can experience the benefit of achieving the goals right now.
This builds our sense of gratitude and appreciation. In a weird way, by focusing on manifesting goals in the future, we increase our fulfillment from the journey and achievement of accomplishing the goals - not just the final outcome.
We should still set out to become the best version of ourselves - I’m not going to be satisfied with creating a mediocre company, being an average parent, or letting my health deteriorate.
By manifesting what I want for myself in the future - I can strive to constantly be better, while still feeling fulfilled now.
So how do you do it?
Here’s a summary of the entire Ziva Meditation. End each 15 minute session with a 1-2 min manifestation where you:
Take a moment of gratitude
Clarify your goals - get really specific about what you want
Imagine accomplishing one of those goals right now - what do you see, hear, feel? Create as vivid a visualization to make it as real as you can
Don’t fixate on the outcome - focus on the feeling
Trust me - I was a skeptic and not one to add these 2 minutes to the end of my meditation. Nothing magical will happen overnight - but it’s worth sticking with. You really do start to find the balance between striving for tomorrow and knowing the feeling you’re looking for is inside you.
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Coco’s Maiden Title and Djokovic wins #24: At 19, Coco Gauff claimed her first slam as she leads a changing of the guard in tennis. On the men’s side - there is no changing of the guard. Novak Djokovic won the final in straight sets - winning his record-setting 24th major title, which ties Margaret Court for the most slams of all time. (NYTimes)
Approximating Human Rewilding: Rewilding is not just about the individual, it may help our species counter global climate change and future pandemics. But, it isn’t, and shouldn’t be, for everyone. Yet, thought experiments around the practice help us note our habits and industrial dependence, with potential to change and find our ikigai (Issue #218). (Big Think)
Fructose + Alzheimer’s disease?: Researchers suggest fructose be an area of focus for further Alzheimer’s studies. Why? Our ancestors needed to focus while foraging instead of thinking of something else - so the brain released fructose for short-term memory loss. It will be years until this hypothesis can be proven. While you wait, avoid added fructose (Issue #45) in processed foods, if you can remember. (Levels Health)
Tuesday QR | Oven-Baked Beet Chips
Nothing better than a healthy snack that tastes great - especially with one of our bonus superfoods (Issue #237). Not a lot of active time in this recipe - just prep, get a 30-min workout in, and then be sure to take out the chips as they finish cooking.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.