Making a Good Brain Great: The Amen Clinic Program for Achieving and Sustaining Optimal Mental Performance by Dr. Daniel G. Amen

Author:Dr. Daniel G. Amen
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Health & Fitness, General
ISBN: 9781400082087
Publisher: Harmony Books
Published: 2005-11-15T08:00:00+00:00

5. TELL YOUR BRAIN WHAT YOU WANT, AND MATCH YOUR BEHAVIOR TO GET IT.

Since your mind takes what it sees and makes it happen, it is critical to visualize what you want and then match your behavior over time to get it. Too many people are thrown around by the whims of the day, rather than using their prefrontal cortex to plan their lives and follow through on their goals.

THE ONE-PAGE MIRACLE

A powerful yet simple exercise that I have designed is called the One-Page Miracle, so named because it has quickly focused and changed many people’s lives. It will help guide nearly all of your thoughts, words, and actions for brain health.

Take a sheet of paper, and clearly write down your major goals. Use the following three main headings: Relationships, Work/Finances, and Self. Under “Relationships,” write the subheadings of Spouse/Lover, Children, Family, and Friends. Under “Work/Finances,” write down your current and future work and financial goals. Under “Self,” write down your goals for your physical health, emotional health, spirituality, and interests. Your self is the part of you that is outside your relationships and your work. Often it is the part of you that no one sees but you.

Next to each subheading succinctly write down what’s important to you in that area. Write what you want, not what you don’t want. Be positive, and use the first person. Write what you want with confidence and the expectation that you will make it happen, and include what you are currently doing to make it happen. Keep the paper with you so that you can work on it over several days. After you finish the initial draft (you’ll frequently want to update it), place this piece of paper where you can see it every day, such as on your refrigerator, by your bedside, or on the bathroom mirror. In that way, every day you will focus your eyes on what’s important to you. This makes it easier to match your behavior to what you want. Your life will become more conscious, and you will spend your energy on goals that are important to you.

I separate the areas of relationships, work, and self in order to encourage a more balanced approach to life. Burnout occurs when our lives become unbalanced and we overextend ourselves in one area while ignoring another. For example, in my practice I see that a common cause of divorce is that one person works so much that little energy is left over for his or her spouse.

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