Someone points in a direction, and without knowing why, you look. Your mind processes the whole scene, but without focusing on the details, you still don’t realize exactly what you’re looking for. Then the person exclaims, “a pink car!” Suddenly, a pink car appears in your field of vision. It was there all along, but somehow you couldn’t perceive it.
Our vision is extremely limited; our brain is constantly filtering what we perceive. If we paid attention to everything all the time, nothing would stand out as important. Our visual perception is governed by a value system controlled by the brain.
If you see a snake, you’ll jump back before you even consciously realize what you saw. That’s why there are videos of cats jumping when they see a cucumber—because the brain detects it as a snake before the cat can analyze the facts.
This phenomenon highlights the importance of having a clear purpose in our lives because without direction, we don’t know where to look. Life will pass by regardless, so it’s better that we take control of it.
My life purpose is to be an entrepreneur, to live from what I write, and to share what I know. This is a purpose, but it’s somewhat abstract, without a clear step-by-step plan of what I need to do to get somewhere.
When I translate this purpose into practice, I see that I need to read every day for an hour and write daily for as long as it takes. I wouldn’t be able to see a reason to maintain simple habits if I didn’t have an abstract goal guiding me.
We only dedicate ourselves to a task if we see a function in it, which is why many people start projects but don’t finish them. At the beginning of the year, we say, “This year I’m going to read more!” but the enthusiasm lasts a day, maybe a bit longer, or not even that.
To truly follow through on your goal, understand what your greatest inspirations are, what truly moves you. Translate that into a more abstract purpose and apply it in your daily life in the form of simple habits.
We can only identify what hinders or helps us if we are moving in some direction. A trash can might be useful for someone who wants to throw out the trash, but it could be an obstacle for someone running from an angry dog.
I’ll leave you with an exercise that can help you find your path and identify the habits you need to cultivate to reach your goals:
Imagine the best possible scenario for your life, one where, through your effort, you’ve achieved what today seems like a distant, even unrealistic, dream.
I’ll use myself as an example. My dream is to live by writing what I want and to make a lot of money from it. So, the best scenario for me would be to live in a simple place in the countryside, writing and making money, without major worries.
Now, think: how would I ruin everything? Yes, you read that right. How could I completely destroy this dream?
1. I would never read a book again for the rest of my life.
2. If I didn’t feel like it, I wouldn’t write.
3. I wouldn’t take care of my physical or mental health.
4. I’d spend hours each day avoiding myself on Instagram.
5. I’d drink alcohol whenever I could.
6. I’d work a regular job without ever dedicating myself to my dream.
Do you see how just inverting all of this helps me find the exact path to where I want to go? Our brain is excellent at finding ways to sabotage our plans, so let’s use that to our advantage. By reversing everything, what remains is:
1. Read every day for the rest of my life.
2. Write, even when I don’t feel like it.
3. Take care of my physical and mental health.
4. Avoid spending too much time on Instagram.
5. Avoid drinking alcohol, even if I “can.”
6. Work a regular job if necessary, but dedicate myself to my dream.
Apply these concepts to your life and, most importantly, put them into practice immediately, desperately, because time is short.