“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” — Bruce Lee
Like any skill, goals get better with practice.
But what are the best times to practice writing and reviewing your goals?
The first thing in the morning, and the last thing at night.
It’s also easier to build a habit if you have predictable times. By setting up a simple cadence for writing and reviewing your goals, you’ll get better and better over time.
In the book, Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want — Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible, Brian Tracy tells us the best times to write and review our goals, along with why.
First Thing in the Morning, and Last Thing at Night
What are the best times for mental programming? Write and review your goals in the morning and at night to amplify the impact.
Tracy writes:
“Two times of the day are ideal for writing and rewriting your goals and for reading and reviewing your index cards.
These are the last thing in the evening before you go to bed, and the first thing in the morning, before you leave for work.”
Sleep On It
Your brain gets resourceful when it has ideas to work on. Like the elves and the shoemaker, let your brain work on your goals while you sleep through the night.
Tracy writes:
“When you rewrite and review your goals in the evening, you program them into your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind then has an opportunity to work on your goals all night long, while you are sleeping.
You will often arise with wonderful ideas for things to do or people to call to help you achieve your goals.”
Warm Up Your Mind
Don’t just warm up your body. Warm up your mind. Writing and reviewing your goals is a great way to stretch and flex your mind to be ready for your day.
Tracy writes:
“When you rewrite and review your goals in the morning before you start your day, you set yourself up for positive thinking and positive acting all day long.
Just as physical exercise in the morning warms up your body, reviewing your goals in the morning warms up your mind and prepares you to be your very best throughout the day.”
Develop Unshakable Confidence
Repetition of your goals will help transform them from vaguely familiar ideas to deeply believable ambitions.
Tracy writes:
“The result of rewriting and reviewing your goals each say, in the morning and in evening, is that you will impress them even more deeply into your subconscious mind.
You will gradually move from positive thinking to positive knowing.
You will develop a deep and unshakable conviction that your goals are attainable and that is only a matter of time before you achieve them, and you will be right.”
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