‘Even a potato growing in a sack in a cellar, throws out shoots towards the light.’ Carl Rogers

Human beings are naturally goal focused. Our innate brain wiring means we are programmed to instinctively move forward, not backward. We constantly seek to expand and grow.

Where we choose to focus our attention is really important because what we focus on is what we naturally move towards. So the power of focused attention is harnessed by sports and performance coaches for super motivation and high achievement.

To really begin to understand how and why focused attention is so important, we need to look at a key brain filter, the Reticular Activating System.

RAS and your best brain

‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.’ Aristotle

The Reticular Activating System of the brain, or RAS, is a filter which allows information in and filters much out.

If we were fully aware of our surroundings at all times, our brain would become overloaded with information and so the RAS system has the job of filtering out most of what is going on around us.

What it does, however, is allow in what we have identified as important for us.

For example, if we are in a room full of people and talking to one person in particular, the others talking in the room will just sound like a background of noise, or hubbub.

However, if, out of all of that background noise, somebody says our name, we will hear it and perhaps turn to see who said it. This is because the RAS system has identified and tagged our name as important, allowing that information in.

It is the same with life. Once we have a clear idea of our goals, RAS opens the gate to let in tagged information, allowing us to notice new opportunities.

Yet RAS can also work negatively. If we focus on past events or past failures and project more of the same into our future, RAS may not allow in positive thoughts or opportunities as these do not seem significant.

So it is important to identify just how we want our life to be, then RAS will have a positive rather than a negative filter and we will have a positive mind set.

The world is neutral; we project our thoughts, feelings and experiences onto it. We allow in and filter out information. When we shift perception and choose to tell our self a helpful story about our life, we feel hopeful, powerful and positive.

If we constantly have a negative internal dialogue, we filter out the positives. We simply do not see them because they are not on out radar.

Super-focus your brain filter

‘If we understand the brain a little, we can take care of our lives a lot’ anon

If you want to ‘set your mind’ so you can feel your best and be your best, you simply need to start early in the day…or even the night before!

Follow these simple steps to super-focus your brain on getting stuff done

Decide what you want to achieve from the day and write it down. When you write it down, you embed the goal and tag it as significant for RAS.

Close your eyes and imagine things going positively

Be specific. If there is a meeting you need to go well, view it as though on a TV screen. Turn up the volume, the contrast, the colour; really see and hear the film in your mind.

Have a powerful and positive thought that you can overlay onto your vision of the day to create a ‘yes mind set.’

Inject the image with high energy to upgrade your positive intention.

Just like going to the gym, your RAS muscle will grow stronger with regular exercise.

Supercharge your daily goals by harnessing the real power of your spectacular human brain. One small change can make a huge difference.

Isn’t it time you reclaimed the right to your true potential?

Do you struggle with getting stuff done? Are you always procrastinating and putting stuff off? What do you do to focus? Let us know below…