You've probably heard about The Law of Attraction. A few years ago the film The Secret came out, and the world went crazy for it. Oprah was a huge fan, many of the world's top thinkers endorsed it, and the whole world seemed to be using it.
(The Law of Attraction is simply this: You attract whatever you think about. The more you focus on something, the more powerful it becomes, and the more likely you are to 'attract it' into your life.)
Problem is, people took it rather literally. People everywhere were leaving themselves notes and writing themselves letters with their 'orders'. Optimistic Law of Attractioners would pin a note on their fridge declaring they were going to own a Ferrari within a week, and then, *shock*, were surprised when the Ferrari wasn't waiting on their doorstep on Friday afternoon. (Well, duh!)
So does it actually work? Here's my thinking on the Law of Attraction and how it could help you.
Yes, it's exciting and inspiring to have a big masterplan to aim towards. But once you've come up with the big goal - then you need to ask yourself two important questions.
- Is it possible? (e.g. Is getting a new job by Friday possible? Probably not - so don't make it your goal! C'mon, be realistic. Is getting a new job in the next six months possible? Yes. Move to question 2.)
- What are all the little things I need to do to get there? Break the goal down into manageable chunks. Focus on the details. (e.g. Chunk 1 - Write my CV. Chunk 2 - Get references. Chunk 3 - Start applying for jobs.). Then make each chunk smaller again, and again, until you get to the day-to-day, hour-to-hour actions that will lead you towards your goal. (e.g. Chunk 1 - Set aside two hours today to write CV, ask friend for advice on layout, once written admire my handiwork then email to myself, and print 10 copies.)
Wishy-washy fortune-cookie-style hopes for the future don't work. The only way to get there is action.
So chunk your projects into small, manageable steps. It's easier to keep an eye on all the small important details and how they relate back to the big picture.
Happy chunking.