This year has been a complicated one, to say the least. But it has also been the year when I gave myself more time to stop and think about who I am and what I really want. During the spring I had the pleasure of listening to a lecture by Eva Dixon that really helped me with concrete mental models that can be used to reframe my thinking and align with my goals. I thought that sharing them was the perfect way to thank 2020 for being so rough and teaching me the art of refocusing.

Neuroplasticity

Eva explained that the key to reaching your goals is in your mind and it is called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability of our brain to adapt and change depending on the environment and on the thoughts. Everything we think, we feel, we do, imprint our brain. This means that every thought we have creates a certain feeling inside of ourselves which is connected to a specific sensation. This is why we might feel physical discomfort when being angry or frustrated. And this is also why it is key for getting to our goals to master the art of reframing, from negative to positive.

Eva suggested working with wording and think about how the blocks or negativity in our lives can be transformed into something positive and actionable.

I used this technique a lot during the year to refocus my energy from something that I was frustrated with and couldn’t control to something else that was into my sphere of influence. It worked magic both on a personal and on a professional level. In order to get to the action hidden behind the frustration, I find it useful to start with pen and paper. Starting by writing down what frustrates me and working my way through what is inside my control and I can act upon. It can be something as easy as starting to talk with someone about it, but it requires the time and self-perception to understand what is actually frustrating you.

Magnetism

Another extremely helpful tool that Eva explained is how to actually get to the bottom of your feelings in order to identify what is your true motivation. The first step to get there is to identify if you are on autopilot.

Autopilot is the opinion that we have of ourselves that is based on what others think about us, on the past, on society, and on any other kind of influence that is outside ourselves. If you want to get to your true motivation and start acting on your goals, you have to get past the autopilot. Eva suggested some questions that you can use in order to check if you are on auto-pilot or not:

• Am I being mindful?

• Am I aware of my thoughts?

• Am I making choices consciously?

If the answers to all three are yes, then you are ready to connect with your goals. The key here is again from visualizing where you want to go and then start taking action to get there. Do not wait until your confidence is high enough to act, take action and your confidence will rise. Think positive and you will learn. Do not be afraid to start and do not stop at the first challenge, keep on moving and success will come.

All pictures courtesy of Eva Dixon