The Neuroscience of Accomplishment
I love this quote from the late Wayne Dyer because it reminds us of the importance of enjoying each moment. That being said, I also think it’s important to acknowledge the importance of accomplishing our goals. Therefore, I suggest we shift from an “either/or” perspective to a “both/and.”
In other words, what if we were able to see life as a dance, moving in rhythm with our partners and brining a sense of joy and creativity to each step, while at the same time, keeping our goals in mind and ensuring that we weren’t just moving around the floor, but actually getting somewhere?
What might this look like? Well, I suggest we begin at the beginning and ensure we are enjoying our morning routine. This is one area of life over which we have almost complete control, and it can set the tone for the rest of the day. We can then look at getting to work or school, or wherever we are going in a way that is also enjoyable. Are we listening to an audio book, podcast, favorite radio station, what?
Once we get to where we are going, we can begin to focus on what we want to accomplish. However, we never want to lose sight of the fact that, even as we take steps to reach our goals, each decision, each moment, are still steps in the great dance of life, and if we are not enjoying the process, even if we accomplish everything we want to accomplish, it will be a hollow victory.
The key is to have the mindset that both joy and accomplishment are important. And, for those of you who follow my “Life from the Top of the Mind” philosophy, you know that when I say “mindset,” I mean that literally as well as figuratively. In other words, unless we are coming from the upper 80% of the brain (what I call “The Top of the Mind”) we will be relegated to simply reacting to life versus creating it on purpose.
Therefore, I suggest we set about making this happen… seeing life as a dance, and understanding how important it is to enjoy every step, while at the same time moving from one part of the floor to another. In this way, we bring the “both/and” perspective of joy and accomplishment to life in a way we would recommend to someone we love.
~ All the best, Dr. Bill